FORT WORTH, Texas – The MACU softball team had to battle back from deficits in both contests against Texas Wesleyan at Sycamore Park on Friday afternoon, but the Evangels pulled off a pair of rallies to come away with the 12-6, 8-7 victories to win the series, 3-1.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 12, Texas Wesleyan 6
  • Mid-America Christian (18-12, 11-8 SAC)
  • Texas Wesleyan (19-12, 12-7 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Chana Wolfe (6-4)
• Loss: Abbie Bird (8-6)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Karlee Danielson – 3-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB
• Kayten Herman – 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI
• Stormy Haynes – 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB
• Morgan Fowble – 3-5, 2B, R, SB
• Chana Wolfe – W, 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – TWU – Abbie Bird homered to left, RBI – TWU 1, MACU 0
• TOP 3^rd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson tripled to left-center, RBI; scored on throwing error by 1b – MACU 2, TWU 1
• BTM 3^rd – TWU – Kylie Barnes homered to left, 3 RBI; EB Zimmerman scored; Kaylee Ramirez scored – TWU 4, MACU 2
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Talyn Wheeler grounded out to ss, RBI; Stormy Haynes scored – TWU 4, MACU 3
• BTM 4^th – TWU – Jaelin Ornelas homered to left-center, RBI – TWU 5, MACU 3
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Morgan Fowble scored on a wild pitch – TWU 5, MACU 4
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Makenzie Thurman scored on a throwing error by c – MACU 5, TWU 5
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Kayten Herman doubled to left, 2 RBI; Madison Mora scored; Karlee Danielson scored – MACU 7, TWU 5
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Karlee Danielson singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Makenzie Thurman scored; Cierra Russell scored – MACU 9, TWU 5
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Stormy Haynes singled to third, RBI; Karlee Danielson scored – MACU 10, TWU 5
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya singled up the middle, RBI; Stormy Haynes scored – MACU 11, TWU 5
• TOP 7^th – MACU – Madison Mora reached on fielding error by 3b; Emylee Campbell scored – MACU 12, TWU 5
• BTM 7^th – TWU – Kaylee Ramirez doubled down rf line, RBI; Hailey Delarosa scored – MACU 12, TWU 6

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its 12 runs on 14 hits while Texas Wesleyan notched its six runs on 10 hits with four errors.
• Texas Wesleyan threatened to score right off the bat in the bottom of the first after getting runners to first and third with no outs. However, just when it looked like the Rams were going to push a run across, EB Zimmerman was called out for batter's inference before MACU starting pitcher Avery Schneringer induced a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.
• The Rams ended up getting their go-ahead run in the bottom of the second when Abbie Bird hit a lead-off homer over the left field wall to set the score to 1-0.
• The Evangels captured their first lead of the contest in the top of the third when Hallie Wilson drew a lead-off walk before Brooklyn Wilson hammered a triple to the left-center field gap before coming across to score on an errant back pick throw by the first baseman to make it a 2-1 game.
• Despite getting two quick outs, Schneringer ran into trouble in the bottom of the third when a Kaylee Ramirez single and a Zimmerman double led to Kylie Barnes hammering a go-ahead three-run homer over the left field wall to set the score to 4-2.
• MACU got a run back in the top of the fourth on a Talyn Wheeler RBI groundout, but the Rams recaptured a two-run advantage at 5-3 in the top of the fourth on a Jaelin Ornelas solo homer to left-center in the bottom of the frame.
• Mid-America Christian started turning the tides of the game in the top of the fifth as the Evangels loaded the bases right off the bat on back-to-back infield singles by Brooklyn Wilson and Morgan Fowble before Makenzie Thurman was pegged by a pitch. While the Rams were able to induce a fielder's choice out in the next at-bat, a wild pitch and a throwing error on a pickoff by the catcher allowed the Evangels to tie the game before Kayten Herman delivered a pinch-hit two-RBI double to left to make it a 7-5 game.
• The Evangels added some big-time insurance in the sixth as Karlee Danielson delivered a two-RBI line drive single that just barely glanced off the pitcher's glove before reaching the right-center field gap before Stormy Haynes smacked an RBI infield single to third and Kisbel Vizcaya lined an RBI single up the middle to stretch the MACU advantage to 11-5.
• MACU added one more run in the top of the seventh on a ground ball fielding error with two outs before the Rams wrapped up the scoring with a Kaylee Ramirez RBI double down the right field line to wrap-up the 12-6 final.
• After suffering a shaky start on Thursday, sophomore pitcher Chana Wolfe had a strong bounce-back game in the circle. After relieving Schneringer in the fourth inning, Wolfe got the victory after allowing just one earned run on four hits over 3.2 innings of work.
• Two different Evangels put together three-hit games as Danielson led the efforts with a 3-for-5 day with two RBIs and two runs to go with a pair of stolen bases while Fowble finished 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
• As a team, MACU finished the contest with nine stolen bases, tying the fourth-best mark in MACU's NAIA Era (2008-present) single-game record book. Haynes also found herself in MACU's record book for stolen bases as her 29^th stolen bag allowed her to move into 10^th in the career list.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Texas Wesleyan 7
  • Mid-America Christian (19-12, 12-8 SAC)
  • Texas Wesleyan (19-13, 12-8 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Rachel Eggleston (7-5)
• Loss: Kylie Barnes (6-5)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Karlee Danielson – 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, HBP, SB
• Aubrey Meyers – 1-2, 2 RBI
• Talyn Wheeler – 2-3, R, BB, 2 SB
• Rachel Eggleston – W, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson grounded out to ss, RBI; Kisbel Vizcaya scored – MACU 1, TWU 0
• BTM 1^st – TWU – Kylie Barnes singled to short, RBI; Hailey Delarosa scored – MACU 1, TWU 1
• BTM 1^st – TWU – Marissa Reina singled up the middle, RBI; Kaylee Ramirez scored – TWU 2, MACU 1
• TOP 2^nd – MACU – Emylee Campbell scored on a wild pitch – MACU 2, TWU 2
• TOP 2^nd – MACU – Gia Reynosa scored on a passed ball – MACU 3, TWU 2
• BTM 3^rd – TWU – Abbie Bird homered to center, 2 RBI; Kylie Barnes scored – TWU 4, MACU 3
• BTM 3^rd – TWU – Hailey Delarosa walked, RBI; Marissa Reina scored – TWU 5, MACU 3
• BTM 3^rd – TWU – Kaylee Ramirez singled thru left side, RBI; Alyssa Bates scored – TWU 6, MACU 3
• BTM 3^rd – TWU – Devin Dunn scored on a wild pitch – TWU 7, MACU 3
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Aubrey Meyers singled to left-center, 2 RBI; Talyn Wheeler scored; Kisbel Vizcaya scored – TWU 7, MACU 5
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Karlee Danielson homered to center, 3 RBI; Aubrey Meyers scored; Morgan Fowble scored – MACU 8, TWU 7

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs on five hits and committed an error while Texas Wesleyan tallied its seven runs on 10 hits.
• The Evangels managed to get the bats going early as a Kisbel Vizcaya hit-by-pitch and a Talyn Wheeler single and stolen base put two in scoring position with no outs before Brooklyn Wilson hacked a slow chopper to short for an RBI groundout to make it a 1-0 game.
• Texas Wesleyan grabbed the 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the first on a pair of RBI singles before MACU got the lead back in the top of the third. After loading the bases with two outs, Emylee Campbell scored on a wild pitch before Gia Reynosa came across on a passed ball to set the score to 3-2.
• In the bottom of the third, the Rams captured a big lead after pushing across five runs in the frame. An Abbie Bird two-run homer to center started the scoring streak before three more runs came across on a bases-loaded walk, an RBI single by Kaylee Ramirez and a wild pitch to make it a 7-3 contest.
• In the top of the fifth, MACU flipped the script on the Rams as back-to-back bunt singles by Vizcaya and Wheeler as well as a Morgan Fowble hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs. In a pinch-hitting situation, Aubrey Meyers delivered a two-RBI single to the left-center field gap to knock the deficit down to two before Karlee Danielson launched the would-be game-winning three-run home run over the center field wall to give MACU the 8-7 advantage.
• The Rams put together a major threat in the bottom of the sixth as a Bird walk and consecutive singles from Jaelin Ornelas and Marissa Reina loaded the bases with only one out, but MACU reliver Rachel Eggleston got out of the jam by inducing back-to-back flyouts to left to keep TWU off the board.
• Texas Wesleyan had one more chance to push across the tying run in the bottom of the seventh when Hailey Delarosa hit a lead-off single to right-center and got pushed down to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, Eggleston stamped out the Rams' chances with back-to-back strikeouts looking to wrap-up the 8-7 final.
• By closing the game out, Eggleston wrapped up her phenomenal weekend in the circle with her second-straight win after tossing a complete-game on Thursday. In the victory, the Kiowa, Oklahoma native tossed 4.2 innings and allowed no runs on four hits with three walks and notched five strikeouts. On the whole, Eggleston wrapped up her week with a 2-0 record and a 0.60 ERA after allowing just two runs, one earned on eight hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts over 11.2 innings of work.
• Danielson led the MACU bats, finishing the contest 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a run off her three-run jack while also reaching base on a hit-by-pitch and stole a base. Overall, the Leedey, Oklahoma product was the most productive bat or MACU over the weekend, finishing the four-game slate batting 7-for-12 (.583) with a double and two homers for eight RBIs and six runs to go with three stolen bases.
• Meyers wrapped up the contest slashing 1-for-2 with two RBIs while Vizcaya scored the most runs for MACU after batting 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.
• By getting the win, MACU's has now won the regular season series three-straight times against Texas Wesleyan. Since losing the series-opener 13-3 to TWU on Mar. 26, 2022, the Evangels have won 11 of the last 12 meetings against the Rams.
• The victory also allowed the Evangels to skyrocket into a tie for third in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with the Rams at 12-8 while MACU now owns the tiebreaker with the series win.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian returns home next weekend as the Evangels will battle crosstown rival Southwestern Christian in a four-game slate. MACU will open the series with a doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 5 with a 2 p.m. first pitch at Allen Field.