OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian softball team will be looking for a major upset on Tuesday as the Evangels will be hosting nationally second-ranked Science & Arts in a crucial Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader. The first game of the twin billing will start at 2 p.m. at Jack Allen Field.
LAST TIME OUT
Mid-America Christian (10-6) will be looking to shake off a tough outing at the HBCU Tournament hosted by Langston in Stillwater, Okla. on Friday and Saturday. The Evangels dropped a pair of 4-1 and 4-0 decisions to Kansas Wesleyan and Our Lady of the Lake on Mar. 6 before falling 8-7 and 2-0 to McPherson and Our Lady of the Lake on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE DROVERS
After dropping a pair of games early in the season, Science & Arts has been on a roll by winning 18 straight to compile a 21-2 overall record and an 8-0 mark in SAC play. Last week, the Drovers went 5-0 at the Friends University Tournament, picking up a pair of 3-0 wins over Bethany (Kan.) and Ottawa (Kan.) before pulling out a 10-9 win over Midland (Neb.), a 6-5 victory over Avila (Mo.) and finishing out with a 13-11 extra inning win over Mount Mercy (Iowa).
Senior shortstop Tara Madron has been the most efficient bat in the USAO lineup this season, batting .511 with 11 runs and 11 RBIs. The Drovers are led by a pair of power bats in the lineup. Senior third baseman Kristen Prieto has driven in a team-high 21 RBIs off six homers and four doubles while scoring a squad-best 17 runs off a .380 average. Senior first baseman and pitcher Randa Hatter has also driven in 21 off of four homers and two doubles to go with a .349 batting average.
In the circle, junior pitcher Emily Cerny has been the workhorse for the Drovers, throwing in 13 games and allowing a 2.61 ERA with 23 walks and 91 strikeouts over 75 innings while posting an 11-2 record. Senior Michal Hylton and junior Falon Howell have also put together eight efficient appearances apiece, as Hylton posts a team-best 1.82 ERA with 12 walks and 29 strikeouts in 34.2 innings and Howell owns a 2.15 ERA with 18 walks and 29 strikeouts over 39 innings of work.
HISTORY WITH THE DROVERS
Science & Arts is 36-9 in the series during the NAIA era and have won the last 13 meetings as the Evangels will be seeking their first win over the Drovers since 2016. In last season's series, USAO came to Jack Allen Field and pulled out 7-0 and 6-3 wins on Apr. 1, 2019 before closing out the series with a pair of 5-0, 13-4 victories in Chickasha, Okla. on Apr. 16, 2019.
GETTING BACK-TO-BASICS
Mid-America Christian will be looking at trying to get back-to-basics on defense heading into conference play as the Evangels have struggled in that area so far. Through 16 games, the Evangels have committed 31 errors in 16 games for a .935 fielding percentage, the second-lowest in the SAC. MACU will be looking to get back to last season's form as the Evangels committed just 58 errors in 51 games for a .960 fielding percentage, the second-highest in the league.
REPETITION FOR REGAN
One bright spot for the Evangels this past weekend was that junior starter Regan Martin has worked her way back to a full-time starter after suffering an injury to start the season. Martin pitched well despite suffering a pair of losses to Kansas Wesleyan and Our Lady of the Lake. Between the two starts and a relief appearance against McPherson, Martin recorded a 1.08 ERA while not allowing a single walk to go with nine strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .185 batting average.
