OKLAHOMA CITY – Redshirt sophomore starter
Rachel Eggleston tossed her sixth complete game shutout of the season as the MACU softball team split its doubleheader against Southwestern Assemblies of God on Friday afternoon at Allen Field.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 2, SW Assemblies of God 0
- Mid-America Christian (29-12, 14-9)
- SW Assemblies of God (17-20-1, 10-15 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Rachel Eggleston – W, CG, SHO, 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 SO
- Cailey Parsells – 1-2, R, HBP, SB
- Emylee Campbell – 1-3, SB
SCORING SUMMARY
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its two runs on two hits while SAGU tallied four hits and committed two errors.
- The Evangels were able to take advantage of an early major threat. After Cailey Parsells led off the bottom of the first and stole second, MACU managed to get two runners in scoring position after Parsells reached third on a wild pitch and Megan Widener got on-base on a fielder's choice to short before stealing second.
- On the only scoring play of the game, Janessa Larman hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Parsells from third, but another run came in to score on the play when Sasha Jennings' throw into home deflected off of Parsells, allowing Widener to also score on the play to make it a 2-0 game.
- SAGU mustered a major threat in the top of the third when Jennings and Trista Ford reached on back-to-back two-out singles and both runners trotted down on a wild pitch by Rachel Eggleston. However, Eggleston was able to strand both runners by getting McKenzie Schulze to fly out in foul territory on a phenomenal diving grab by Brooklyn Wilson to keep it to a 2-0 game.
- In the bottom of the fifth, MACU was able to get a runner to third after Brooklyn Wilson reached second on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder before getting down to third on a flyout. However. Parsells went down on strikes to keep Wilson stranded at third.
- Neither team was able to manage to get a runner in scoring position the rest of the way as the Evangels held on for the 2-0 win.
- Tossing her sixth complete-game shutout of the season, Rachel Eggleston allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out eight. That sixth goose egg moved her alone into second for the most shutouts in a season, placing her just one back of Regan Martin's 2019 record. Eggleston also climbed up the record book as her 18th win moves her alone into second in the single season record book, only one behind Katie Long's 2021 mark while also surpassing Caitlyn Ulmer's 2009 mark of 135 for second-most strikeouts in a season as she sits at 137 on the year.
- Cailey Parsells and Emylee Campbell were the only MACU batters to register hits in the game, as Parsells finished 1-for-2 with a run, a stolen base and also reached on a hit-by-pitch while Campbell slashed 1-for-3 while stealing a bag.
- Janessa Larman recorded the only RBI of the game with her sacrifice fly in the first inning.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- SW Assemblies of God 5, Mid-America Christian 3
- Mid-America Christian (29-13, 14-10 SAC)
- SW Assemblies of God (18-20-1, 11-15 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 1st – SAGU – Trista Ford singled to ss, RBI; Airiana Magdaleno scored – SAGU 1, MACU 0
- TOP 1st – SAGU – Cadence Hopgood singled to right, RBI; Trista Ford scored – SAGU 2, MACU 0
- TOP 1st – SAGU – Madyson Higgins doubled down lf line, RBI; Brooke Kinnibrugh scored – SAGU 3, MACU 0
- TOP 5th – SAGU – Cadence Hopgood singled to right, RBI; Mackenzie Lara scored – SAGU 4, MACU 0
- BTM 5th – MACU – Mikaylee Allen reached on a throwing error by 3b; Karlee Danielson scored – SAGU 4, MACU 1
- TOP 7th – SAGU – Cadence Hopgood singled to right, RBI; Mackenzie Lara scored – SAGU 5, MACU 1
- BTM 7th – MACU – Adyson Bradley singled to center, 2 RBI; Kenzee Danielson scored; Hallie Wilson scored – SAGU 5, MACU 3
GAME NOTES
- SAGU scored its five runs on 14 hits and made three miscues while the Evangels scored their three runs on five hits and committed one error.
- The Lady Lions jumped out to a big advantage right out of the gate as five of the first seven batters reached via a hit as an RBI double down the left field line by Madyson Wiggins pushed the SAGU lead out to 3-0.
- It looked as though MACU might get out of a jam in the top of the fifth after Chana Wolfe got Brooke Kinnibrugh to ground into a 1-6-3 double play, but the Lions added some insurance as a McKenzie Schulze double preceded a Cadence Hopgood RBI single to push the SAGU edge out to 4-0.
- The Evangels finally got a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After Rachel Humburg smashed a lead-off double off the left field wall, Brooklyn Wilson also got into scoring position after hitting a soft lining double that just barely got over the glove of the shortstop, putting runners at second and third with only one out. It appeared the Lady Lions were going to be able to get out of the inning when Hannah Robbins hit a flyout to right and Mikaylee Allen hit a chopper to the third baseman, but an errant throw to first allowed one run to come across to make it a 4-1 game.
- MACU manufactured another major threat in the bottom of the sixth as three straight batters reached with two outs as Adyson Bradley was hit by a pitch before Humburg drew a walk and Abby Womack singled to left. However, the Evangels were unable to capitalize as SAGU third baseman Lashay Reyes made a sensational diving stop on Macy Stockton's sharply hit grounder to third as she managed to get a tag on Humburg trying to get to third to end the threat.
- The Lady Lions added a crucial insurance run in the top of the seventh on three straight singles off the bats of Kinnibrugh, Schulze and Hopgood to push the SAGU lead back out to 5-1.
- Mid-America Christian didn't go down without a fight in the bottom of the seventh as Hallie Wilson got on by slapping a single to center before back-to-back Evangels reached on muffed throws at second on fielder's choices to load the bases. With Bradley back up to the plate, the senior was able to drop a single into center just out of the reach of the diving center fielder, allowing Wilson and Kenzee Danielson to score to cut the deficit in half at 5-3.
- Unfortunately, MACU's rally came to an end on the ensuing at-bat as Ford was able to get Humburg to pop out to short to end the contest.
- Avery Schneringer suffered the loss in the circle after allowing three earned runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout over four innings of work.
- Competing in one of her final home games, Adyson Bradley provided a spark off the MACU bench by reaching base twice and producing the only two RBIs by going 1-for-1 with a two-RBI single and a hit-by-pitch.
- By getting the win, SAGU was able to snap MACU's eight-game home win streak over the Lady Lions. The last time SAGU won a game at Allen Field came on Apr. 20, 2018.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will close out its final regular season home games of the season tomorrow as the Evangels will host Southwestern Assemblies of God for their Senior Day doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for 12:30 p.m. with the senior ceremony taking place after the completion of the opening game.
