CHICKASHA, Okla. – The MACU softball won its Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament opener in dramatic fashion at Bill Smith Ballpark on Thursday afternoon as
Macy Stockton drove a bases-loaded, walk-off single to the left-center field gap in the bottom of the seventh to propel the No. 3 seed Evangels to a 4-3 win over sixth-seed Southwestern Assemblies of God.
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 4, SW Assemblies of God 3
- Mid-America Christian (36-15)
- SW Assemblies of God (20-25-1)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- BTM 1st – MACU – Janessa Larman singled to left, RBI; Cailey Parsells scored – MACU 1, SAGU 0
- BTM 2nd – MACU – Hannah Robbins homered down rf line, 2 RBI; Brooklyn Wilson scored – MACU 3, SAGU 0
- TOP 3rd – SAGU – Airiana Magdaleno doubled to right, RBI; Madyson Wiggins scored – MACU 3, SAGU 1
- TOP 4th – SAGU – McKenzie Schulze doubled to left-center, RBI; Trista Ford scored – MACU 3, SAGU 2
- TOP 4th – SAGU – Cadence Hopgood reached on a throwing error by p; Kaeli Lynn scored – MACU 3, SAGU 3
- BTM 7th – MACU – Macy Stockton singled to left-center, RBI; Hallie Wilson scored – MACU 4, SAGU 3
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored four runs on six hits and committed a pair of errors while SAGU tallied three runs on five hits.
- The Evangels were able to get into the scoring column at its first opportunity in the bottom of the first. After Cailey Parsells drew a lead-off walk, stole second and was moved to third on a Megan Widener sacrifice bunt, Janessa Larman notched her 47th RBI of the season by dropping a single into left to make it a 1-0 game.
- The Evangels added to their lead in the bottom of the second when Brooklyn Wilson ripped a one-out double that one-hopped to the wall before Hannah Robbins slugged first career home run that just stayed inside the left field foul pole to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
- The Lady Lions cut into the MACU edge in the top of the third. After Lashay Reyes reached in the first at-bat on Mikaylee Allen's throw that just barely pulled Olivia Roberts off the bag at first. Later in the inning, she came around to score on Airiana Magdaleno's two-out double to the right-center field gap, bringing it to 3-1.
- SAGU took advantage of another defensive miscue in the top of the fourth to tie it up. After the Lady Lions scored one on a lead-off walk and a McKenzie Schultze ripped a double to left-center to plate one, two batters later, MACU pitcher Avery Schneringer air mailed a throw to first to allow each baserunner to move up a bag, evening it up at 3-3.
- The Lady Lions put together two major threats late in the contest, the first coming in the top of the sixth as SAGU put runners on second and third with two outs on a Brooke Kinnibrugh double to left and a Cadence Hopgood single through the left side before running to second on the throw home. However, Schneringer was able to work out of the jam by Madyson Wiggins to fly out to left to end the frame.
- SAGU once again put runners at second and third in the top of the seventh with just one out on a lead-off walk, a sac bunt, an infield single and a stolen base. However, facing one of the top hitters in the SAC in Sasha Jennings, Schneringer got her to bunt into a 2-unassisted fielder's choice as Robbins was able to retrieve the bunt near home plate and tag out Makinzy Kneip trying to score.
- In the very next at-bat, SAGU pitcher Trista Ford nearly gave the Lady Lions a three-run lead with a deep fly ball to left, but Parsells was able to run it down on the warning track for the final out to give MACU a chance to walk it off.
- After coming in defensively in the top of the seventh at right field, Hallie Wilson made an immediate impact with her bat as she slugged a lead-off triple into the left corner to put the winning run at third. In a strategic move, SAGU elected to load the bases with back-to-back intentional walks to Emylee Campbell and Brooklyn Wilson, bringing pinch-hitter Macy Stockton to the plate.
- On a 3-2 count, Stockton smashed a line drive to the left-center field gap to plate Hallie Wilson, securing the 4-3 final.
- Avery Schneringer picked up the win in the circle after tossing her 12th complete game of the season, allowing three runs, one earned on five hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts while improving to 14-6 on the year.
- Brooklyn Wilson was the lone Evangel to record multiple hits in the contest, going 2-for-2 with a double and a run while also just barely missing a chance at a second double after being thrown out on a sensational defensive play trying to stretch a single to a two-bagger.
- Hannah Robbins led the offensive efforts with her two-run blast, finishing 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run.
- With Macy Stockton's walk-off, the Evangels notched their second walk-off victory of the season with the last coming on Megan Widener's squeeze bunt single in the bottom of the ninth of a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Science & Arts at Allen Field on Apr. 8.
- The victory marked the fourth win in five games for the Evangels over Southwestern Assemblies of God while also making it the fifth straight time MACU had won its SAC Tournament opener.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian advances in the winner's bracket and will face-off against the No. 2 seeded and nationally 10th-ranked Science & Arts at 1 p.m. at Bill Smith Ballpark on Friday.
- Due to weather, only the elimination game at 11 a.m. and MACU's matchup against USAO will be played tomorrow. The current tournament format is being pushed back a day to where the SAC Championships game will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday instead of Saturday.
