FAYETTE, Mo. – The MACU softball team faced some mixed emotions following the outcomes of Tuesday's NAIA Opening Round contests as the Evangels won their first ever NAIA Tournament game with a 4-0 victory over No. 15 College of Idaho, but MACU saw its season come to a tough end in the final elimination game as Dickinson State rallied to defeat MACU 3-2 at the Cox Softball Complex.

GAME ONE / Mid-America Christian vs. College of Idaho
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 4, College of Idaho 0
  • Mid-America Christian (37-16)
  • College of Idaho (32-19)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Rachel Eggleston (13-5)
• Loss: Amberie Jones (6-1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Rachel Eggleston – W, CG, SHO, 7 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 2 SO
• Talyn Wheeler – 3-4, 2 R
• Brooklyn Wilson – 2-2, RBI, BB
• Kayten Herman – 1-1, RBI

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – MACU – Talyn Wheeler scored on a muffed catch error by 1b – MACU 1, CofI 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Hallie Wilson hit a sac fly to lf, RBI; Stormy Haynes scored – MACU 2, CofI 0
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson singled to center, RBI; Talyn Wheeler scored– MACU 3, CofI 0
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Kayten Herman singled to short, RBI; Emylee Campbell scored– MACU 4, CofI 0

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian took advantage of a massive defensive miscue by College of Idaho right out of the gate. After Talyn Wheeler grounded a one-out single through the left side, she ended up coming around to score all the way from first when a muffed catch by the first baseman on Emylee Campbell's grounder toward the left side of the infield, making it an early 1-0 lead for MACU.
• The Yotes threatened in their half of the first when a Lexi Navarette one-out double, a wild pitch followed by a Brinley Iverson walk and stolen base put runners at second and third with two outs. However, MACU starting pitcher emphatically got out of the jam by striking out Kaylee MacDannald for the final out.
• College of Idaho's next biggest threat came in the bottom of the first when the Yotes loaded the bases on a Sydney Zachry walk, a Lindsey Jones single to left and a Lolo Walker hit-by-pitch, all coming with two outs. However, Eggleston once again escaped by getting Navarette to ground one right to her for the 1-3 putout, ending the frame unscathed.
• The Evangels once again utilized the small ball for their next scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth as Stormy Haynes drew a one-out walk and stole second before advancing to third on a muffed catch on the throwout attempt. Hallie Wilson brought in Haynes by floating a sacrifice flyball to left field that was deep enough to score her, extending the edge to 2-0.
• MACU added two more huge insurance runs in the sixth as the first four batters reached, all on singles. After Wheeler started it off by reaching on an infield single to second and Campbell singled to center to put runners at second and third, Brooklyn Wilson hit a single up the middle to bring in Wheeler. With both runners moving up to second and third on the throw home, Kayten Herman pushed across the final run on an infield single to the shortstop to put it to a 4-0 score.
• Mid-America Christian had a chance to add to it when pinch-runner Taela Hubbard stole second to put runners at second and third with two outs, but CofI reliever Annie Polster retired the next three batters in-order to keep it to a 4-0 ballgame.
• Eggleston managed to keep the door closed on any potential Yotes comeback, allowing just one baserunner on a walk over the final two frames as the Evangels secured the 4-0 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its four runs on seven hits and committed two errors while College of Idaho tallied just two hits and also made two errors.
• Senior starting pitcher Rachel Eggleston's last start as an Evangel went down as her 11^th career complete game shutout as the righty allowed only two hits and worked around five walks while striking out two.
• After not getting the start behind the plate in the first game of the tournament, redshirt sophomore catcher Talyn Wheeler came out big from the plate as she recorded nearly half the Evangels hits by going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
• Brooklyn Wilson notched one of MACU's three RBIs on a 2-for-2 day from the plate with a walk. Kayten Herman notched one of the RBIs on her pinch-hit single while Hallie Wilson wrapped up her day with the third RBI after going 0-for-1 with a walk and a sac fly.
• The Evangels notched their third win of the season against an NAIA Top 25 opponent by defeating the No. 15 Yotes. MACU's other two NAIA Top 25 victories came against No. 4 Science & Arts by a score of 3-2 on Mar. 22 and 2-0 on Mar. 23.
• The result also marked MACU's first NAIA Opening Round win.

GAME TWO / Mid-America Christian vs. Dickinson State
SCORE

• Dickinson State 3, Mid-America Christian 2
  • Mid-America Christian (37-17)
  • Dickinson State (26-23)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Dallis Mitchell (16-6)
• Loss: Avery Schneringer (11-5)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Avery Schneringer – L, 6.2 IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 SO
• Morgan Fowble – 3-3, 3B, R
• Kisbel Vizcaya – 1-3, RBI
• Kayten Herman – 1-3, 2B

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya singled thru right side, RBI; Stormy Haynes scored – MACU 1, DSU 0
• TOP 7^th – DSU – Jai Maddox-Hernandez reached on a throwing error by 3b; Kara Conway scored on a muffed catch error by ss – MACU 1, DSU 1
• TOP 7^th – DSU – HaiLeigh Davis hit a sac fly to lf, RBI; Jai Maddox-Hernandez scored – DSU 2, MACU 1
• TOP 7^th – DSU – Bailey Hansen singled to center, RBI; Cassy Loa scored – DSU 3, MACU 1
• BTM 7^th – MACU – Morgan Fowble scored on a wild pitch – DSU 3, MACU 2

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian had the best chance to score an early run when Morgan Fowble started off the second by hitting a line drive triple down the right field line. However, the Evangels were unable to capitalize as the next two Evangel batters were retired before Fowble got picked off at third on a back pick throw from the catcher for the final out.
• However, the Evangels were able to take advantage of the leadoff runner in the bottom of the third for the first score of the game. After Stormy Haynes was hit by a pitch, the sophomore shortstop stole second and after Hallie Wilson's groundout to the pitcher moved her to third, Kisbel Vizcaya hit a sharp liner through the right side of the infield for an RBI single to set the score to 1-0.
• The Evangels had another would-be scoring chance unfortunately spoiled in the fourth. After Fowble reached again on a one-out single to left, her pinch-runner Taela Hubbard would get nabbed trying to steal second during Kayten Herman's at-bat. Moments later, Herman narrowly missed leaving the yard when she hit a deep fly ball off the wall down the left field line.
• In the top of the fifth, Dickinson State put together its most dangerous scoring opportunity of the game as a single, a walk and a fielder's choice loaded the bases with two outs. However, MACU starting pitcher Avery Schneringer navigated the jam by getting DSU's pitcher Dallis Mitchell to strikeout to keep it a one-run game.
• The Evangels carried their one-run lead into the top of the seventh when disaster struck for the MACU defense. After Kara Conway battled for a leadoff walk during an extended at-bat, Jai Moddox-Hernandez laid down a sac bunt that Kisbel Vizcaya errantly threw down to first, allowing both runners to advance to second and third. However, the throw in from right got away from the Evangels shortstop, allowing the tying run to score and the go-ahead run to get down to third with no outs.
• DSU's HaiLeigh Davis gave the Blue Hawks the lead with a sacrifice fly to left before another fielding miscue at second and a hit-by-pitch allowed Dickinson State to push across one more on Bailey Hansen's single to center, bringing it to a 3-1 game.
• MACU made the call to the pen to end the nightmare inning as Rachel Eggleston struck out the final batter of her immaculate Evangels career for the last out.
• Mid-America Christian didn't go down without a fight as Fowble started off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center before Aubrey Meyers hit a pinch-hit single to right to put runners at the corners with one out. The Evangels cut the deficit to one on a wild pitch that scored Fowble to third and moved Meyers to second. Pinch-runner Chana Wolfe managed to get down to third on another wild pitch, putting the tying run in-place with one out.
• Unfortunately, MACU would leave the tying run stranded as Mitchell managed to strike out Cierra Russell and get Hallie Wilson to fly out to shallow left to wrap-up the 3-2 final.

GAME NOTES

• Dickinson State scored its three runs on four hits and committed an error while Mid-America Christian scored its two runs on seven hits and made three defensive miscues.
• Despite the heartbreaking result, senior pitcher Avery Schneringer pitched well in her final outing as an Evangel, as she threw 6.2 innings, allowed three unearned runs on four hits with four walks and tallied four strikeouts.
• Upon completing the game, Schneringer wrapped up her MACU career by finishing in the top five in the Evangels' record book in multiple statistical categories. Overall, the Blanchard, Oklahoma native ends her career fifth in career ERA (2.96), fifth in opponent batting average (.272), fourth in WHIP (1.32), sixth in strikeouts (231), fourth in games pitched (91), fifth in games started (70), fourth in complete games (35), third in shutouts (10), third in innings pitched (414.1), third in wins (43) and fifth in saves (3).
• Senior pitcher Rachel Eggleston also finished out her MACU career as one of the most immaculate hurlers in program history. The Kiowa, Oklahoma product finishes her MACU career with the program records in earned run average (2.17), opponent batting average (.229), WHIP (1.07), strikeouts (409) and wins (51) while also tallying the second-most shutouts (11), second-most innings pitched (462), third-most games pitched (93), third-most games started (74) and the third-most complete games (39).
• Eggleston also set MACU single season top five marks by ending the campaign with the fifth-best ERA (2.11), fifth-best opponent batting average (.215), third-best WHIP (1.02) and the fifth-most strikeouts (121).
• Seniors Morgan Fowble and Aubrey Meyers ended their MACU careers on high notes as Fowble finished the contest batting 3-for-3 with a triple and a run scored while Meyers notched a crucial pinch-hit single in the seventh inning.
• Fowble wrapped up her two-year MACU career with a .319 batting average with nine doubles, a triple, four homers and 34 RBIs to go with 22 runs as well as seven walks and the fifth-most hit-by-pitches by an Evangel in the record books with 11.
• Madison Mora also competed in her final game in an Evangels uniform.
• Mid-America Christian finishes its 2024 regular season campaign under first year head coach Jim Gasso with a 37-17 overall record, tying the fourth-most wins in a single season in program history while the .685 win percentage marks the second-best win percentage in a single season to only the 2021 NCCAA National Championship team (37-14, .725). MACU also ended the season with its most ever wins and best ever win percentage in Sooner Athletic Conference play (27-9, .750).