OKLAHOMA CITY - The Mid-America Christian University softball team has been searching for a way to jump start their offense over the last couple of weeks as MACU has struggled to get runners on base at the top of the order. On Friday afternoon, the Evangels may have found their answer.
Junior outfielder Jessica Holt stepped into the leadoff spot for MACU (15-11, 10-9 SAC), and she sparked a 12-run out-burst with a 6-for-8 day as the Evangels swept away Southwestern Assemblies of God University (21-15, 16-6 SAC) by scores of 6-5 and 6-0.
SAGU struck first in game one on a triple and a single to start the top of the third, and though MACU briefly claimed the lead in the bottom of the frame on a an RBI triple from Holt and a run-scoring single from Alanna Leisy, SAGU scored four times in the next two frames to build a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hannah Salmon picked up an RBI base knock to drive in Leisy to trim the deficit to 5-3, and in the sixth, the Evangels surged in front again. With two outs in the sixth, Caitlin Butler reached on an error, and she moved up to third on a single from Holt. On the play, SAGU made another error that allowed Butler to score and Holt to move up to third which brought the tying run to the plate. After back-to-back walks to Amber O'Bryant and Leisy, Hanna Harris singled past the shortstop to drive in two and give MACU the 6-5 lead. The one-run advantage proved enough as SAGU went in order in the seventh, and MACU held on to win, 6-5.
MACU scored six runs on 10 hits with one error, and SAGU plated five runs on 11 hits with two costly miscues.
Adrienne Phillips (1-0) earned the win with two and one-third innings of scoreless relief after she came in behind MACU starter McKenzie Smith who threw the first four and two-thirds innings. Phillips surrendered only three hits, she did not walk a batter, and she fanned two. The loss was charged to Casey Waterman (15-8) who gave up six runs - three earned - on 10 hits in six innings of work. Waterman issued three walks and she struck out one MACU batter.
Holt was 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI in the game, and Leisy and Harris each singled twice in the contest. Leisy had a run and an RBI, and Harris drove in two runs.
Holt reached on an error to start the second game, and she came around and scored on a double from Harris to give MACU a 1-0 leadright out of the gate. Pitcher Regan Martin was hit by a pitch to start the second inning, and she later scored on a stolen base before Holt singled home Alexis Franks to extend MACU's lead to 3-0 after two frames. Salmon picked up a pair of RBIs on a single in the bottom of the fifth, and Holt knocked in another run with a double in the sixth as Brook Hendrickson scampered home to cap the scoring in MACU's 6-0 win.
Martin (7-4) was dominant in the circle for MACU in the game. She tossed her fourth shutout of the season, she scattered six hits, and she struck out a pair in the win. Natalie Voss (4-7) took the loss, giving up six runs on nine hits in six innings. Voss walked two and struck out two as well.
Holt was again 3-for-4, this time with a double, two runs, and two RBIs. Salmon had a single and two RBIs, Brittany Ward singled twice, and Harris and Leisy each had a double in the game.
MACU was slated to host Texas Wesleyan University on Saturday, but those games were postponed and rescheduled for April 20 due to the rain in the forcast for Oklahoma City on Saturday. The Evangels will resume their schedule on Tuesday when they head to Muskogee, Oklahoma for a double-dip against Bacone College (0-18, 0-18 SAC) at 2 p.m.
