OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian softball team got off on the right foot to start the 2020 season, sweeping Crowley's Ridge 5-2, 11-4 in a season-opening Saturday doubleheader at Jack Allen Field. Entering the doubleheader with 199 wins, Evangels Head Coach Robert Wakefield reached the 200-win milestone in the 5-2 opener.
Starting his ninth season at the helm, Wakefield has transformed the Evangels softball program over the last four years, recording 30 or more wins in three of the last four years. During the 2018 campaign, MACU won a program-record 39 games and reached the NCCAA World Series. Last season, the Evangels won 22 Sooner Athletic Conference games to place third in the conference, tallying the most conference wins in MACU history for its highest finish ever in the SAC.
GAME ONE
Mid-America Christian (1-0) scored early and often in the opening game, tallying all five of its runs through the first four innings to support Evangels starter McKenzie Smith, who got her first win of the season after tossing five innings and giving up just two runs, one earned on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
The Evangels pushed across the first two runs in the first inning. After Amber O'Bryant singled to shallow left-center, Hannah Salmon drove her home with a double to deep right-center to make an early 1-0 game. Salmon came around to score in the next at-bat when Faith Hollingsworth dropped a single into right to quickly make it a 2-0 game.
Crowley's Ridge (1-4) got a run back in the top of the second when Smith walked in a run with the bases loaded and two outs, but got out of the jam by getting CRC's Kaitlyn Stebelton to hit a ball out of the box to end the inning.
The Evangels quickly got the run back in their half of the second when Jessica Holt hit a two-out single up the middle and rounded the basepaths a batter later when O'Bryant smacked a double to left-center, bringing the MACU edge back to two at 3-1.
MACU added an insurance run in the third. Hollingsworth and Camenda Osborn each reached via a single and moved to second and third after a wild pitch. Kylie Stubbs drove in Hollingsworth with a single to shallow left, extending the edge to 4-1.
Mid-America Christian scored its final run in the fourth. Following Ribbin Dorado's infield single to first, Dorado flew around the bases to third on a Holt SAC bunt. With one out, O'Bryant drove in Dorado with an RBI sac fly to left to make it a 5-1 game.
The Pioneers managed to cut the deficit to three in the top of the fifth. With runners on first and second and one out, CRC executed a double steal play as Breanna Warren got caught in a rundown between first and second. While successfully able to get back to first, Kaitlyn Stebelton was able to beat the throw to home, setting the score to 5-2.
Sophomore closer Adrienne Phillips came in during the sixth and was able to shut the door on the Crowley's Ridge comeback efforts, allowing just two hits in the final two innings to record her first ever career save.
Mid-America Christian notched its five runs on 12 hits with two errors while Crowley's Ridge finished with two runs on four hits and an error.
Three Evangels tallied a pair of hits, led by O'Bryant going 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Hollingsworth slashed 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Osborn batted 2-for-3 as well.
GAME TWO
The second game of the doubleheader provided a far bigger offensive outburst. While Crowley's Ridge (1-5) was able to get a quick run in the top of the first on an Evangels error, it wouldn't take long for Mid-America Christian (2-0) to grab the lead.
The Evangels started the bottom of the first with four consecutive hits. Holt led off the frame with a single through the hole at short and advanced to second on a stolen base before O'Bryant scored her with a double to the deep left-center field gap, making it 1-1.
Salmon pushed O'Bryant in with a deep RBI single to center, but was gunned down at second trying to stretch the play into a double, bringing the score to 2-1.
MACU pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the second. After loading the bases, Salmon drove in Dorado on a sac fly to right and back-to-back RBI singles by Olivia Roberts and Hollingsworth stretched the Evangels' advantage to 5-1.
The Pioneers got a pair of runs back in the top of the third to keep it close, but Mid-America Christian strung together a five-run fourth to put the game out of reach.
In that bottom half of the fifth, the Evangels loaded the bases and scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch by Madyson McDermott, scoring Salmon from third to stretch MACU's lead to 6-3. Later in the at-bat, Phillips drove a two RBI single to right to bring in Mikaylee Allen and Osborn, extending the advantage to 8-3.
Mid-America Christian loaded the bases once again following a Butler walk and a Dorado single to second, setting up Holt's RBI infield hit to score to bring the score to 9-3. The Evangels ended the scoring onslaught when CRC reliever Bailey Carson threw an illegal pitch, advancing all the runners a base and make it a 10-3 ballgame.
Crowley's Ridge got a run back in the top of the fifth on an RBI single, but Mid-America Christian got it back in the sixth. Osborn led off the inning with a double to left-center. Pinch-runner Shayla Morris advanced to third on a wild pitch and then reached home on Butler's RBI groundout.
Mid-America Christian tallied its 11 runs on 16 hits and committed two errors while Crowley's Ridge scored its two runs on 10 hits and committed three errors.
Five Evangels recorded a multi-hit game as Holt in the leadoff position led the way by going 3-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Roberts also slashed 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Phillips picked up the win in relief, throwing four innings and sacrificing just one earned on four hits.
Mid-America Christian will have a short turnaround as the Evangels will be back at home Monday for a doubleheader against Sterling College. The opening game of the two-game series is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Jack Allen Field.
