OKLAHOMA CITY – For the first time since 2017, the MACU softball team was swept by Southwestern Christian in a doubleheader as the Evangels fell 6-0 in game one before losing a heartbreaker 6-5 in extra-innings in the finale at Allen Field on Friday.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Southwestern Christian 6, Mid-America Christian 0
- Mid-America Christian (21-8, 8-5 SAC)
- Southwestern Christian (26-9, 12-9 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 6th – SCU – Holly Elam singled to left, RBI; Alys Parr scored – SCU 1, MACU 0
- TOP 6th – SCU – Jessie Moralez singled to right-center, RBI; Madison Jones scored – SCU 2, MACU 0
- TOP 7th – SCU – Madison Jones singled to left-center, RBI; Mallori Brown scored – SCU 3, MACU 0
- TOP 7th – SCU – Megan Vess singled down lf line, RBI; Madison Jones scored – SCU 4, MACU 0
- TOP 7th – SCU – Jessie Moralez doubled to right-center, 2 RBI; Megan Vess scored; Holly Elam scored – SCU 6, MACU 0
GAME NOTES
- Southwestern Christian scored its six runs on 10 hits and committed one error while the Evangels tallied six hits and also made one miscue.
- The Eagles put together the first major threat of the game in the top of the third as the first two batters reached on infield singles before Alys Parr loaded the bases three batters later with a single to left. However, Rachel Eggleston was able to get out of the jam by getting her third strikeout of the inning to keep it to a scoreless game.
- MACU threatened by getting runners in scoring position in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, but the Evangels struggled to put runs across on SCU starting pitcher Lauren Schallert.
- SCU finally broke through in the top of the sixth as four of the first five batters reached on three singles and a walk to make it a 2-0 game.
- It looked as though Eggleston was going to get out of another jam in the top of the seventh by getting outs on a SAC bunt and a flyout to right after the leadoff batter reached on an error, but the Eagles strung together four straight hits to push across four runs to push the lead out to a nearly insurmountable 6-0 advantage.
- The game marked the first time the Evangels have been shutout by the Eagles since Mar. 31, 2012.
- Eggleston matched a season-high nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work, but the redshirt sophomore hurler allowed a season-high six runs, only two of which were earned on a season-high 10 hits.
- Olivia Roberts was the only Evangel to register an extra-base hit, but her one-out double in the fifth marked the 37th of her career, tying her with Tiffany Holt (2013-16) for the second-most in program history. Roberts now needs just two more to match Jackie Hilterbran (2012-15) for the all-time record.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- Southwestern Christian 6, Mid-America Christian 5
- Mid-America Christian (21-9, 8-6 SAC)
- Southwestern Christian (27-9, 13-9 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 2nd – SCU – Addison Hanna doubled to center, RBI; Megan Vess scored – SCU 1, MACU 0
- TOP 2nd – SCU – Mallori Brown hit a sac fly to cf, RBI; Jessie Moralez scored – SCU 2, MACU 0
- BTM 2nd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson homered to left, 2 RBI; Rachel Humburg scored – MACU 2, SCU 2
- BTM 3rd – MACU – Olivia Roberts doubled to right-center, RBI; Janessa Larman scored – MACU 3, SCU 2
- TOP 4th – SCU – Jessie Moralez homered to left, RBI – MACU 3, SCU 3
- TOP 5th – SCU – Holly Elam singled up the middle, RBI; Alys Parr scored – SCU 4, MACU 3
- TOP 5th – SCU – Addison Hanna singled thru right side, RBI; Megan Vess scored – SCU 5, MACU 3
- BTM 5th – MACU – Janessa Larman homered to center, RBI – SCU 5, MACU 4
- BTM 7th – MACU – Olivia Roberts grounded out to 2b, RBI; Mikaylee Allen scored – MACU 5, SCU 5
- TOP 8th – SCU – Madison Jones grounded into a double play 2b to ss to 1b; Hannah Keele scored – SCU 6, MACU 5
GAME NOTES
- Southwestern Christian scored its six runs on 19 hits and committed one error while Mid-America Christian scored five runs on nine hits and also made one error.
- The 19 hits allowed by the Evangels were the most they've given up in one game on the season, however, just three of SCU's hits went for extra-bases with two doubles and a home run.
- The Eagles once again scratched across runs first on a pair of base hits in the top of the second, but MACU was able to get them both back with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the frame. After Rachel Humburg dropped a soft fly into left for a single, Brooklyn Wilson cranked her second home run of the season with a sharply hit liner to left to make it a 2-2 game. MACU had a chance to add to it later in the inning, but the Eagles made a stellar defensive play by throwing out Kenzee Danielson trying to score on a double steal to end the inning.
- MACU took its only lead of the day in the bottom of the third when Olivia Roberts hit a sharp liner to right-center that just barely got past the outstretched arms of the center fielder for a double, scoring Janessa Larman all the way from first to make it a 3-2 game.
- That double for Roberts moved her one step closer to the program record, now sitting just one shy of tying Jackie Hilterbran.
- SCU drew it back even in the top of the fourth on a Jessie Moralez lead-off solo home run to left before the Eagles reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of RBI singles to make it 5-3.
- In the bottom of the fifth, MACU was able to get a run back when Larman blasted her fourth home run of the season to start off the frame, cutting it to a 5-4 game.
- Mid-America Christian managed to force extra innings in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh. After Mikaylee Allen was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and stole second, she came around to score on an RBI groundout by Roberts as she broke for home during the putout at first, just barely beating the relay to the plate to draw it even at 5-all.
- The Eagles pushed across the only run in extra innings after a lead-off infield single by Alys Parr put runners at the corners. MACU was able to force Madison Jones into grounding into a 4-6-3 double play, but the go-ahead run scored on the play to set the score to 6-5.
- In MACU's chance in the bottom of the sixth, Brooklyn Wilson advanced Hallie Wilson to third with a SAC bunt to start before Abby Womack drew a walk to bring up Hannah Robbins. However, the Evangels saw their comeback chance ended abruptly when Robbins hit a scorching liner that was snared by the shortstop before being tossed over to third to get Wilson trying to return to the base to seal the win for the Eagles.
- Even though the Evangels were held to just nine hits, MACU was effective with their hits by recording four extra-base hits with two doubles and two home runs. It was the third time this season Mid-America Christian registered two home runs in a game with the other two coming in a doubleheader sweep at Langston on Mar. 22.
- Larman's fifth-inning solo jack also allowed her to climb up MACU's all-time record book for career homers. With the 12th of her career, Larman matched Ashley Sanford (2014-15) for the third-most in the book, sitting just two back of Natalie Bissell (2014-15) for the program mark.
- With the defeat, Mid-America Christian lost the season series to Southwestern Christian 3-1, suffering their first series defeat to the Eagles since 2012 when SCU also took 3-of-4 in the slate.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will be looking to bounce back on Saturday as the Evangels face-off against No. 9 Science & Arts for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Allen Field.
