FAYETTE, Mo. – The MACU softball team struggled to get the bats going in its first ever NAIA Tournament game as the Evangels fell to No. 5 seed Dickinson State 2-0 at the Cox Softball Complex on the campus of Central Methodist University on Monday afternoon.
 
SCORE

• Dickinson State 2, Mid-America Christian 0
  • Mid-America Christian (36-16)
  • Dickinson State (25-22)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Dallis Mitchell (15-5)
• Loss: Avery Schneringer (11-4)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Rachel Eggleston – 6 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 12 SO
• Emylee Campbell – 2-3, SB
• Kayten Herman – 1-1
• Morgan Fowble – 1-3

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – DSU – Kiley Hubby singled to left, RBI; Cassy Loa scored – DSU 1, MACU 0
• TOP 1^st – DSU – Karissa Comer singled to left, RBI; Dallis Mitchell scored – DSU 2, MACU 0

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian found itself behind early. After striking out the first batter, Dickinson State got the next two aboard on a pair of free passes from a walk and a hit-by-pitch before Kiley Hubby lined a single to left, scoring Cassy Loa who slid in just before the tag could be applied.
• Even though Schneringer was able to strike out the next batter, Kariss Comer drove in the next run with another line drive single to left, extending the Blue Hawks lead to 2-0.
• The Evangels got into a jam in the top of the third when a double to left-center and a bunt single to third put runners at the corners with no outs. However, reliever Rachel Eggleston got out of the jam by inducing a pop out in foul territory before striking out the next two batters to escape the jam.
• MACU's biggest threat came in the bottom of the fourth when Emylee Campbell led off the frame with a single and stole second while also appearing to steal third on a dropped ball by the third baseman, but the umpire called Campbell out on the exchange. The Evangels put two more runners aboard during the next two at-bats as Brooklyn Wilson drew a walk and Morgan Fowble grounded a single up the middle to put runners at second and third with only one out. However, DSU starting pitcher Dallis Mitchell struck out the next two Evangels batters to keep it a 2-0 game.
• The Evangels managed to get the lead-off hitter aboard the next two innings as well when Kayten Herman dropped a pinch-hit single into right center to start the fifth and Campbell once again reached on another base hit to center. However, MACU was unable to capitalize in each frame as MACU was unable to overcome the 2-0 deficit

GAME NOTES

• Dickinson State scored its two runs on six hits and committed two errors while the Evangels notched four hits and didn't commit a single error.
• Rachel Eggleston joined some elite company with her six-inning relief outing as she only allowed four hits and struck out a career-high 12 batters, marking the third double-digit strikeout game of her MACU career. Those 12 strikeouts tied the second-most by an Evangels pitcher in program history, moving into a five-way tie with Caitlyn Ulmer, Regan Martin and Katie Wolf, who accomplished the feat twice and was the last MACU pitcher to notch 12 strikeouts during the 2021 season.
• With her 12 strikeouts, Eggleston became the first MACU pitcher in program history to eclipse 400 career strikeouts, extending her career tally to 406.
• Emylee Campbell led MACU's batting efforts with two of the Evangels' four hits, both coming as leadoff singles to finish 2-for-3.
• Kayten Herman and Morgan Fowble were the only two other MACU players to record hits in the contest, both coming as singles.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will have one last chance to stay alive in the double elimination tournament as the Evangels will face off against the loser of the No. 2 seed Indiana Wesleyan/No. 3 seed College of Idaho game at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.