MESQUITE, Texas – Under the leadership of new MACU softball head coach Jim Gasso, the MACU softball team opened its season with a pair of victories over Oklahoma Wesleyan and York at the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational at the Mesquite Girls Softball Complex on Friday. The Evangels first handed the Eagles their first defeat of the season 6-2 before topping York 7-5.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 6, York 2
  • Mid-America Christian (1-0)
  • Oklahoma Wesleyan (4-1)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Rachel Eggleston (1-0)
• Loss: Maddy Wiese (2-1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Rachel Eggleston – W, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
• Brooklyn Wilson – 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Morgan Fowble – 1-3, RBI, R
• Talyn Wheeler – 1-3, RBI

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 2^nd – MACU – Morgan Fowble singled to left, RBI; Kenzee Danielson scored – MACU 1, OKWU 0
• TOP 2^nd – MACU – Talyn Wheeler singled to center, RBI; Morgan Fowble scored – MACU 2, OKWU 0
• TOP 3^rd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson doubled to center, 2 RBI; Megan Widener scored; Hallie Wilson scored – MACU 4, OKWU 0
• TOP 3^rd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson scored on a passed ball – MACU 5, OKWU 0
• BTM 3^rd – OKWU – Jewell Caudle homered to center, 2 RBI; Carley Billings scored – MACU 5, OKWU 2
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Emylee Campbell scored on a wild pitch – MACU 6, OKWU 2

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its six runs on six hits and committed a pair of errors while Oklahoma Wesleyan notched its two runs on three hits and made three miscues.
• After the first three Evangels struck out in-order in the top of the first, MACU quickly figured out OKWU starter Maddy Wiese in the second inning as Aubrey Meyers slapped a one-out single to left before her pinch-runner Kenzee Danielson stole second and then scored on Morgan Fowble's two-out base knock to left before Fowble advancing to third on an error by the left fielder trying to field the hop. MACU took advantage of the error as Talyn Wheeler then bashed a single to center to score Fowble, making it a 2-0 game.
• In the top of the third, Hallie Wilson got the offense started with a one-out walk and Megan Widener's single to center put two on before Brooklyn Wilson hammered a double to center, bringing both runners home to make it a four-run lead. After being advanced on a SAC bunt, Wilson came across home plate on a passed ball to make it a 5-0 Evangels lead.
• After MACU starter Rachel Eggleston got the first two Eagles hitters out in the bottom of the third, OKWU scored its only two runs of the game when Carley Billings drew a walk before Jewell Caudle hit a two-run homer to center to cut it to a 5-2 game.
• Scoring came at a premium over the next four innings as the lone run for either team came in the top of the fifth. After Emylee Campbell utilized her sensational speed to leg out an infield single and then steal both second and third, Campbell came home on a wild pitch to set the score to 6-2.
• Getting the season-opening win, Rachel Eggleston recorded her 39^th career win in the circle after allowing just two earned runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
• Brooklyn Wilson led the MACU batting efforts with her 2-RBI double, finishing the contest 1-for-3.
• Morgan Fowble and Talyn Wheeler recorded MACU's two other RBIs with both batters slashing 1-for-3.
• With the victory, Mid-America Christian has won four-straight against Oklahoma Wesleyan while improving to 12-10 in the all-time series.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 7, York 5
  • Mid-America Christian (2-0)
  • York (0-3)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Avery Schneringer (1-0)
• Loss: Malia Alvarez (0-2)
• Save: Chana Wolfe (1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Chana Wolfe – S, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
• Brooklyn Wilson – 1-3, 2B, RBI, R, BB
• Makenzie Thurman – 2-3, RBI, R
• Aubrey Meyers – 2-4, RBI
• Emylee Campbell – 1-2, 3B, 3 R, 2 BB

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – YORK – Paige Chapman singled to left, RBI; Breanna Underwood scored – YORK 1, MACU 0
• BTM 1^st – MACU – Aubrey Meyers singled to short, RBI; Emylee Campbell scored – MACU 1, YORK 1
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Talyn Wheeler singled thru left side, RBI; Morgan Fowble scored – MACU 2, YORK 1
• TOP 3^rd – YORK – Kayla Noelker singled to first, RBI; Nevaea Reed scored – MACU 2, YORK 2
• TOP 3^rd – YORK – Katie Taylor singled to left, RBI; Kennedie Anderson scored – YORK 3, MACU 2
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson doubled to right, RBI; Emylee Campbell scored – MACU 3, YORK 3
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Madison Mora reached on a dropped 3^rd strike; Brooklyn Wilson scored on passed ball – MACU 4, YORK 3
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Stormy Haynes walked, RBI; Makenzie Thurman scored – MACU 5, YORK 3
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Hallie Wilson hit a sac fly to cf, RBI; Morgan Fowble scored – MACU 6, YORK 3
• TOP 6^th – YORK – Kennedie Anderson doubled to left, RBI; Breanna Underwood scored – MACU 6, YORK 5
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Makenzie Thurman singled to center, RBI; Emylee Campbell scored – MACU 7, YORK 5

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its seven runs on 10 hits and committed one error while York notched its five runs on 12 hits.
• York got the high scoring contest going in the top of the first when Breanna Underwood led off the game with a triple before coming home on Paige Anderson's RBI single before Neveah Reed drew a walk to put runners at first and second with no outs. However, MACU starter Avery Schneringer was able to settle down and retire the next three batters in order to end the threat.
• In the bottom of the first, MACU tied the game up after Emylee Campbell got no with a two-out triple to right and after Brooklyn Wilson drew a walk to put runners at the corners, Aubrey Meyers hit a hot shot toward the third baseman that allowed Campbell to score on the RBI infield single to make it a 1-1 game.
• The Evangels struck quickly in the bottom of the second to get their first lead at 2-1 when Morgan Fowble led off the frame with a double before advancing to third on a wild pitch as Talyn Wheeler brought her home with an RBI single through the left side.
• The Panthers recaptured the lead in the top of the third after the first four batters reached on three singles, including an RBI infield single by Kayla Noelker and a walk before Katie Taylor singled to left to set the score to 3-2.
• MACU snatched the lead back for good in the bottom of the third. After Campbell drew a walk to start off the frame, Brooklyn Wilson brought her home by smashing a double to right before she eventually came home to score on a passed ball to bring it to 4-3.
• The Evangels added some key insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. MACU managed to load the bases right away on singles by Meyers and Makenzie Thurman and a Fowble walk. Even though MACU came up empty on a fielder's choice out at home on Wheeler's at-bat, the Evangels were able to add to their run count when Stormy Haynes drew the bases-loaded walk and Hallie Wilson flied a sacrifice to center to bring in Fowble, extending the edge to 6-3.
• The Panthers cut their deficit to just one at 6-5 in the top of the sixth on Kennedie Anderson's two-out double to center, but MACU reliever Chana Wolfe came in and put a stop to the threat after inducing a flyout to right to keep it to a one-run game.
• Once again, Campbell generated some offense for MACU in the bottom of the sixth by drawing a leadoff walk before eventually coming across to score on Thurman's single to center to make it a 7-5 game.
• York did not give up without a fight in the top of the seventh as Noelker hammered a leadoff double to right and Taylor reached on a bunt single to put runners at the corners with one out. However, Fowble emphatically ended the contest when she snared a liner down the third base line and tagged out the runner at third to close out the game on a dramatic double play.
• MACU starter Avery Schneringer notched her 33^rd career win in the circle for the Evangels, finishing the contest with five runs, four earned on 10 hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
• Sophomore reliever Chana Wolfe notched her first career save after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings of relief while allowing just two hits.
• MACU's batting efforts came up huge as the Evangels tallied 18 baserunners on 10 hits, seven walks and a hit-by-pitch.
• Six different Evangels notched RBIs in the game as Makenzie Thurman and Aubrey Meyers led the batting efforts with Thurman going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run while Meyers slashed 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• For the second-straight game, Brooklyn Wilson recorded an RBI double for the 23^rd two-bagger of her MACU career.
• Emylee Campbell was the catalyst for MACU's offensive outburst as she reached base successfully three times on a triple and two walks while scoring all three times she reached base.
• Facing each other for the first time since 2019, the Evangels took the lead in the all-time series against at 3-2.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will return to action for day two of the SCS NAIA Invitational as MACU will take on Benedictine (Kan.) at 2:45 p.m.