OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian softball team had a tough start to the Sooner Athletic Conference season after dropping the first game of a doubleheader to Central Christian, 4-3 in eight innings, but the Evangels bounced back with an 8-3 victory in the second game on Friday afternoon at Jack Allen Field.

GAME ONE

Mid-America Christian (6-1, 0-1 SAC) started out with the early momentum by pushing across a pair of runs in the second inning. After junior designated player Faith Hollingsworth reached on an infield single to short, the Evangels quickly pushed her into scoring position on a Kylee Stubbs SAC bunt and then reached third on a wild pitch. Evangels third baseman Caitlin Butler drove her in with a sacrifice fly to right to make it a 1-0 game.

Senior left fielder Ribbin Dorado immediately made it 2-0 when her screaming liner sailed over the head of the left fielder playing in, into the left field corner of the wall as she came around to score on an inside-the-park home run.

Two innings later, Central Christian (3-0, 1-0 SAC) fought its way back by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game up at 2-2.

Neither team had a great scoring opportunity until the bottom of the seventh when MACU was able to bring the winning run to third with two outs, but Butler was left stranded at third when Amber O'Bryant popped out to first to end the inning.

In the extra frame, the Lady Tigers pushed across the go-ahead run on Ashton Nelson's single through the hole at short and added a crucial insurance run on Madison Walker's RBI single to make it a 4-2 ballgame.

In MACU's half of the eight, freshman first baseman Olivia Roberts cut the deficit in half with an RBI single to left to score O'Bryant from third and two batters later, freshman right fielder Cailey Parcells put runners at first and third with a single to right-center with two outs.

However, the Evangels comeback chances fell just short when CCC third baseman Altavia Hall made a sensational stop on Stubbs' sharp grounder and made a strong throw to just barely beat out Stubbs at first to notch the game-sealing out.

Mid-America Christian notched its three runs on eight hits and committed one error while Central Christian scored its four runs on six hits to go with an error.

Butler and Roberts each batted 1-for-2 with an RBI while Dorado slashed 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run off her homer. Camenda Osborn was the lone Evangel to record multiple hits after going 2-of-4 from the plate.

McKenzie Smith tossed a solid 5.1 innings in the no-decision, allowing just two runs, one earned on three hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Regan Martin took the tough luck loss in relief, throwing 2.2 innings and giving up two earned runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.

GAME TWO

Mid-America Christian (7-1, 1-1 SAC) was able to produce quite a bit better from the plate in the second game, but the runs didn't come early.

The Evangels only run in the first three innings came in the bottom of the first when Roberts slapped a SAC fly to right to score Jessica Holt from third to make it a 1-0 MACU lead.

Central Christian (3-1, 1-1 SAC) had a strong opportunity when it loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second, but MACU starter Adrienne Phillips got CCC's Jessica Aldana to ground into a 6-5 force out at third to end the threat.

MACU pieced together a threat of its own in the bottom half of the second when Stubbs hit a single to right while Dorado and Holt each slapped infield singles to load the bases with two outs. However, just like the previous inning, the Lady Tigers got out of the jam by getting O'Bryant to popout to second.

The Lady Tigers got the bats rolling in the top of the third, scoring a pair of runs off four hits to take their only lead of the game at 2-1.

Mid-America Christian was able to fight back to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Butler led off the frame with a single to center and moved to second off a Dorado SAC bunt. The Evangels had their backs against the wall when Holt struck out for the second out, but O'Bryant came through with a clutch RBI single through the hole at second to bring Butler in and tie the game.

After Hannah Salmon followed with another single through the right side hole, O'Bryant came around to score when Roberts hit a bouncer to short, but Aldana overthrew the third baseman trying to get the force at third, giving MACU the 3-2 edge.

The Evangels blew the game wide open in the fifth inning. MACU loaded the bases off a Parcells infield single and back-to-back walks by Butler and Dorado. With one out, Holt slapped a grounder to short, but Aldana committed her second error of the game when she misplayed it, allowing Parcells to score.

In the very next at-bat, O'Bryant crushed a three-RBI double to the left-center field wall, clearing the bases to extend the MACU advantage to 7-2. Two batters later, O'Bryant reached home when Roberts blistered a single through the hole at short to extend the lead to 8-2.

The Lady Tigers looked to be starting a big inning the top of the eighth when CCC led off with a walk and a double to put runners at second and third with no outs. The Evangels decided to go back to Martin in relief once again and after allowing an infield single to load the bases and recording a strikeout, Central Christian smacked a single to left to score one run.

However, the Evangels made a huge defensive play when the Lady Tigers tried to score two off the single, but a strong throw from Dorado in left caught CCC's Mekaylee Beard into a rundown between third and home for the second out. Martin proceeded to induce a 6-3 groundout to end the inning, allowing just one run in a situation that could have been far more damaging.

After Martin allowed a leadoff walk to start out the seventh, she promptly ended any Lady Tigers comeback efforts by getting CCC's hot bat in Hall to ground into a force out before inducing Jessica Lyle to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

Mid-America Christian efficiently scored its eight runs off 10 hits with a pair of miscues while Central Christian scored only three runs off 10 hits and also committed a pair of errors.

O'Bryant was the big bat in the MACU lineup, slashing 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs with a pair of runs scored. Dorado also batted 2-for-2 with a run while Butler and Holt each scored a pair of runs.

Despite not pitching her best start, Phillips still picked up the win to move to 4-0 on the season after giving up three earned runs on eight hits with a walk and strikeout in five-plus innings of work. Martin allowed just two hits and a walk with a strikeout in two innings of relief.

Mid-America Christian will be seeking a series win tomorrow as the Evangels will close out its four-game series with Central Christian. The Saturday doubleheader is slated for a noon first pitch at Jack Allen Field.