OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU softball team picked up its first NAIA Top 25 win of the season in dramatic fashion as
Megan Widener walk-off squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth propelled the Evangels to a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Science & Arts at Allen Field on Saturday. The Evangels had an opportunity to go for the sweep, but the Drovers managed to rally from five runs down in the finale to come away with a 6-5 win in eight innings in game two.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 1, Science & Arts 0 (9 Inn)
- Mid-America Christian (22-9, 9-6 SAC)
- Science & Arts (25-10, 15-4 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its one run on four hits and committed two errors while Science & Arts tallied just one hit.
- Rachel Eggleston arguably put together the finest start of her illustrious MACU career allowing just one Drovers base hit with two outs in the top of the seventh as she also didn't issue any walks while tying a season-high nine strikeouts. The victory marked her 14th of the season while the complete-game shutout was the fourth of her career.
- Science & Arts put together the first major threat in the top of the third inning when Sophie Williams reached on an error and advanced to second on a sac bunt. However, the Evangels turned a double play when Slater Eck also tried to lay down a bunt, but was thrown out at first before the Evangels relayed a throw home to get Williams trying to score from second for the double play.
- The Drovers appeared to put together another major threat in the top of the seventh when Macenzie Ruth reached on a throwing error and advanced all the way down to third, but the speedy outfielder went down with a knee injury after rounding third and was tagged out on the play. The Drovers were able to get a runner in scoring position again when Jaclyn Gray reached on a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Eggleston was able to get Jaycee Kievit to strike out to get out of the jam.
- The Evangels also had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the seventh when Mikaylee Allen reached on a lead-off infield single and stole second, but then was gunned down at third trying to steal another base to end the threat.
- MACU had another great chance in the bottom of the eighth when Hallie Wilson was bunted down to third with one out, but then got caught in a pick-off and was tagged out by the catcher trying to slide in to home to take away another game-winner from MACU.
- Finally, the Evangels were able to cash in with the ball small in the ninth inning. After Emylee Campbell bunted for a base hit to put runners at the corners and then advanced to second on a steal, Megan Widener drove in the winning run by putting another bunt down the first base line, but the relay in to home was just a hair too late as Karlee Danielson slid in to score the winning run.
- The Evangels hits were spread out between Cailey Parsells, Mikaylee Allen, Emylee Campbell and Megan Widener as three of the hits were in the infield while Parsells single to right in the first inning was the only hit for MACU to leave the infield.
- The victory for the Evangels was their first against the Drovers since picking up a 4-2 win over USAO at Allen Field on Apr. 10, 2021.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- Science & Arts 6, Mid-America Christian 5 (8 Inn)
- Mid-America Christian (22-10, 9-7 SAC)
- Science & Arts (26-10, 16-4 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- BTM 1st – MACU – Emylee Campbell singled thru left side, RBI; Cailey Parsells scored – MACU 1, USAO 0
- BTM 1st – MACU – Olivia Roberts walked, RBI; Janessa Larman scored – MACU 2, USAO 0
- BTM 2nd – MACU – Mikaylee Allen singled to right-center, 2 RBI; Cailey Parsells scored; Megan Widener scored – MACU 4, USAO 0
- BTM 2nd – MACU – Janessa Larman reached on a fielding error by 1b; Mikaylee Allen scored – MACU 5, USAO 0
- TOP 3rd – USAO – Slater Eck scored on a wild pitch – MACU 5, USAO 1
- TOP 6th – USAO – Jaycee Kievit doubled down lf line, 2 RBI; Jadyn Goucher scored; Tyler Trott scored – MACU 5, USAO 3
- TOP 6th – USAO – Lauryn Cottrell doubled to right-center, RBI; Jaycee Kievit scored – MACU 5, USAO 4
- TOP 6th – USAO – Slater Eck singled up the middle, RBI; Lauryn Cottrell scored – MACU 5, USAO 5
- TOP 8th – USAO – Slater Eck grounded out to ss; Lauryn Cottrell scored on the throw – USAO 6, MACU 5
GAME NOTES
- Science & Arts scored its six runs on 11 hits and committed three errors while the Evangels scored their five runs on seven hits.
- The Evangels got off to a fast start with five of the first six batters reaching in the bottom of the first with the only out coming on a Mikaylee Allen SAC bunt, as an Emylee Campbell RBI single and an Olivia Roberts bases-loaded walk made it a 2-0 game, but MACU missed out on an opportunity to add more when Brookyln Wilson and Hannah Robbins went down on back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
- MACU added three more runs in the bottom of the second as Megan Widener and Cailey Parsells reached on back-to-back singles before Allen drove them both in with a single to right-center. Allen then came around to score during Janessa Larman's at-bat as she reached on a fielding error by the Drovers first baseman to set the score to 5-0.
- USAO pushed across its first run in the top of the third on a wild pitch with two outs, but Avery Schneringer was able to induce a flyout in foul territory to right field to keep another Drovers player from scoring.
- The Evangels had another great chance to add an insurance run when Hannah Robbins reached on a three-base throwing error by the third baseman with one out, but USAO reliever Lauryn Cottrell was able to strike out Widener and Parsells in back-to-back at-bats to keep MACU from adding more.
- In the top of the sixth, it appeared MACU was going to get out of a major jam after a fielder's choice out at third for the second out, but Science & Arts strung together four straight hits to push across four runs in the inning to tie it up at 5-all.
- The Evangels were able to get a base runner to third in the bottom of the seventh after Hallie Wilson reached on a dropped third strike and a throwing error down to first and advanced two bases on back-to-back groundout. However, Cottrell once again got out of the jam by getting Robbins to fly out to left in foul territory to end the inning.
- In the top of the eighth, MACU looked like it was going to get out of the jam with a runner at third on a chopper to short, but the Evangels threw to first to get the out before Cottrell bolted in to home and slid in just before the tag to take the 6-5 lead.
- Mid-America Christian had a chance to score the tying run in the bottom of the eighth after Kenzie Danielson moved her sister Karlee Danielson over to third on a sac bunt, but the Drovers were able to snuff out Parsells' squeeze bunt quickly for the second out before getting Allen to ground out to second for the final out to pull away with the 6-5 win.
- The game marked the third straight game the Evangels played that went to extra innings.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will be back in-action on Wednesday as the Evangels will face off against Ecclesia (Ark.) in their final non-conference doubleheader of the regular season. The opening game of the twin bill is slated for 2 p.m. at Allen Field.
