OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian softball team carried its red-hot momentum into the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at Ann Lacy Stadium on Friday and came away with two big time wins, opening the day with a 5-1 win over No. 4 seed Texas Wesleyan before pulling out a thrilling 2-1 victory over No. 1 seed and nationally second-ranked Oklahoma City.
The win over the Stars was one for the ages as it was the program's first ever non-forfeited victory over OCU since the two teams started facing each other in 2008.
GAME ONE / Mid-America Christian vs. Texas Wesleyan
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 5, Texas Wesleyan 1
- Mid-America Christian (31-20)
- Texas Wesleyan (25-18)
PITCHING DECISION
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 1st – MACU – Olivia Roberts singled up the middle, RBI; Cailey Parsells scored – MACU 1, TWU 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Olivia Roberts doubled down rf line, RBI; Kassie Martin scored – MACU 2, TWU 0
- TOP 7th – MACU – Kassie Martin singled to left, RBI; Cailey Parsells scored – MACU 3, TWU 0
- TOP 7th – MACU – Olivia Roberts singled to left, 2 RBI; Kassie Martin scored; Mikaylee Allen scored – MACU 5, TWU 0
- BTM 7th – TWU – Rhea Ann Avalos homered to left, RBI – MACU 5, TWU 1
TOP PERFORMERS
- Olivia Roberts – 3-4, 2B, 4 RBI
- Kassie Martin – 1-3, RBI, 2 R, SB
- Avery Schneringer – W, CG, 7 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 SO
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its five runs on nine hits while Texas Wesleyan pushed across its lone run on two hits.
- The Evangels scored all five of their runs on two-out base hits.
- The top of MACU's order provided stellar production, as the top four hitters went 7-for-14 with all five RBIs and five runs scored.
- Junior first baseman Olivia Roberts notched her best game of the season, slashing 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.
- Cailey Parsells and Kassie Martin each scored a pair of runs apiece as Parsells batted 1-for-3 with a walk and stolen base while Martin also slashed 1-for-3 with an RBI and a nabbed bag.
- Avery Schneringer was stellar in the circle after going the distance. The sophomore hurler allowed only two hits and the lone run came on a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh to go with a pair of walks and two strikeouts in seven innings of work.
- MACU took advantage of some small ball early to grab the lead in the first as Parsells led things off with a walk and advanced into scoring position on her 50th stolen base of the season. After TWU starter Dylann Kaderka induced a pair of back-to-back outs, Roberts in the cleanup spot smashed a single up the middle to bring home Parsells and make it a 1-0 game.
- Texas Wesleyan mounted its best threat in the bottom of the second when the first two batters reached on a walk and base-hit bunt before a groundout put runners at second and third with only one out. During Izzy Valenzuela's at-bat, Parsells made an incredible leaping grab in shallow center to keep the runners at second and third before Schneringer struck out Mercedes Beltran to end the inning unscathed.
- The top of the third looked like it was going to be a quick one after a Parsells groundout and Mikaylee Allen was thrown out trying to stretch a double to right-center into a triple, but the Evangels bounced back as Martin reached on a walk before Roberts smashed a double down the right field line to plate Martin from first, bringing it to a 2-0 lead.
- The next scoring play didn't come until the top of the seventh. It appeared to be another quick inning for MACU with the first two batters being retired, but back-to-back singles by Parsells and Allen put runners at second and third again before Martin added an insurance run on a soft fly single to left to plate Parsells, making it a 3-0 contest.
- In the next at-bat, Roberts blew the game open by dropping a single to left just out of the reach of the shortstop, bringing home both Allen and Martin to stretch the edge to 5-0.
- Texas Wesleyan's only run of the game came with one out in the bottom of the seventh as Rhea-Ann Avalos smashed a solo shot over the left field fence to cap off the 5-1 final.
GAME TWO / Mid-America Christian vs. Oklahoma City
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 2, No. 2 Oklahoma City 1
- Mid-America Christian (32-20)
- Oklahoma City (43-6)
PITCHING DECISION
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 2nd – MACU – Aurelia Holguin homered to left, RBI – MACU 1, OCU 0
- BTM 5th – OCU – Tiffany Paul singled to right, RBI; Kennedy Jackson scored – MACU 1, OCU 1
- TOP 7th – MACU – Karlee Danielson scored on a throwing error by c – MACU 2, OCU 1
TOP PERFORMERS
- Aurelia Holguin – 2-3, HR, RBI, R
- Mikaylee Allen – 1-1, 2 BB
- Rachel Eggleston – W, CG, 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 SO
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its two runs on three hits with an error while the Stars scored their one run on six hits and committed a pair of miscues.
- Redshirt freshman pitcher Rachel Eggleston picked up one of the biggest victories ever by a MACU pitcher as she allowed only one earned run on six hits with a walk and a strikeout. By notching her 16th win of the season, Eggleston matched Regan Martin and Amber Tinney for the third-most single-season wins by a MACU pitcher in the NAIA Era (2008-present).
- In her first Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament start, sophomore catcher Aurelia Holguin came up clutch for MACU by slashing 2-for-3 with the go-ahead solo home run in the second inning.
- Oklahoma City put together the first major threat right away in the first inning by getting two of the first three batters to second and third with one out, but Eggleston was able to get out of the jam by getting Lexi Duff to strike out before inducing Kaitlyn Jones into a pop out to second.
- With two outs in the top of the second, Holguin smashed a fly ball to left that just cleared the wall, bringing the score to 1-0.
- Oklahoma City was the next to mount a scoring threat in the bottom of the fifth. After Eggleston notched two quick outs, the Stars were able to get the next three batters aboard on back-to-back hit-by-pitches before slapped a single to right to bring home Kennedy Jackson, tying the game up at 1-1.
- It looked the Stars were going to add to it on Duff's at-bat with runners at second and third, but Kassie Martin made a sensational diving grab in shallow left to keep it to a tie game heading to the sixth.
- The Stars attempted to push across the go-ahead run with runners at first and second with one out when Amy Crabaugh slapped a single to left, but Martin once again came up big on the defensive end by throwing out Brooklyn Mason at the plate before Eggleston got out of the inning by forcing Nicole Robinson into a popout at short.
- Mid-America Christian utilized a combination of small ball and OCU miscues to push across what would be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh. After Rachel Humburg led off the inning with a walk, MACU advanced pinch-runner Karlee Danielson to second on a SAC bunt before Holguin smacked a single to left to put runners at the corners with one out. During Megan Widener's at-bat, the OCU catcher Crabaugh made an errant throw trying to pick off Danielson, allowing the go-ahead run to cross to set the score to 2-1.
- In the bottom of the seventh, the Stars tried to mount a rally as Rally Radacy reached on a one-out hit-by-pitch, but Eggleston abruptly ended the game by Paul to line into a 3-unassisted double play to pick up the win.
- Aside from a pair of forfeit wins on Feb. 29, 2012, Mid-America Christian earned its first victory over the Stars in the 59 contests since they started playing each other in 2008.
- Mid-America Christian was finally able to take a one-run game from OCU after dropping a 4-3 decision on a walk-off during an Apr. 5 contest before the Stars took a 1-0 game from MACU at Allen Field on Apr. 18.
- By getting the win, MACU now just needs to win one of the next two games to advance to the SAC Championship game on Sunday.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will face the winner of top-seeded Oklahoma City and No. 4 seed Texas Wesleyan at Ann Lacy Stadium on Saturday. The Evangels will play that game at 3 p.m. and if the Evangels fall, will play one more game at 5 p.m.
