SHAWNEE, Okla. – The MACU Softball team made a statement in its opening day of the NAIASB Invitational at the FireLake Ball Fields as the Evangels shut out No. 7 Central Methodist 2-0 for its first win of the season before falling 15-4 to Benedictine.
 
GAME ONE / Mid-America Christian vs. Central Methodist
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 2, Central Methodist 0
  • Mid-America Christian (1-5)
  • Central Methodist (4-1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Chana Wolfe – W, CG, SHO, 7 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 SO
• Emylee Campbell – 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Kisbel Vizcaya – 1-3, 2B
• Serena Rodriguez – 0-2, BB, R

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 1^st – MACU – Emylee Campbell homered to left-center, 2 RBI; Serena Rodriguez scored – MACU 2, CMU 0

GAME SUMMARY

• It didn't take long for Mid-America Christian to strike. With one out in the bottom of the first, Serena Rodriguez drew a walk before Emylee Campbell hit a deep liner that sailed over the left-center field wall to give the Evangels the 2-0 advantage.
• Central Methodist put together a rare threat in the top of the second on a Lauren Hill walk and a Makayla Albert two-out single to right to put runners at first and second, but Chana Wolfe was able to strike out the side to get out of the inning.
• The Evangels threatened to put together two-out rallies in the bottom of the second and the fifth on a screaming liner to right-center from Kisbel Vizcaya as well as back-to-back singles by Emylee Campbell and Madisson Chavez, however the Evangels were unable to push either of them across.
• MACU avoided a potentially dangerous situation in the top of the sixth when the Eagles leadoff hitter reached on a hit-by-pitch, but the pinch-runner Rachel Brandt was gunned down by Stormy Haynes trying to advance to third after a sacrifice bunt to clear the bases and put two outs on the board.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its two runs on eight hits and committed one error while Central Methodist tallied just two hits with no errors.
• Junior starting pitcher Chana Wolfe put together the best start of her Evangels career as she tossed her second career complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk with two hit-by-pitches and tied a career-best nine strikeouts.
• Emylee Campbell led the MACU batting efforts with her 2-for-3 day as her homer resulted in two RBIs and a run scored. The long ball was the sixth of her MACU career, putting her just outside the program's all-time top 10.
• The victory for the Evangels was the program's first ever win over NAIA powerhouse Central Methodist.

 
GAME TWO / Mid-America Christian vs. Benedictine
SCORE

• Benedictine 15, Mid-America Christian 1
  • Mid-America Christian (1-6)
  • Benedictine (3-2)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Chana Wolfe – 1-2, RBI
• Emylee Campbell – 1-4, RBI
• Brooklyn Wilson – 0-2, RBI, BB

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – BC – Rhiannon Martin homered to center, 2 RBI; Megan Forsman scored – BC 2, MACU 0
• TOP 1^st – BC – Alma Garcia doubled to center, RBI; Amanda Waymire scored – BC 3, MACU 0
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Faith Kelley scored on a wild pitch – BC 3, MACU 1
• TOP 5^th – BC – Chloe Strickland singled to center, 2 RBI; Megan Forsman scored; Ryan Cooper scored – BC 5, MACU 1
• TOP 5^th – BC – Alma Garcia singled to center, RBI; Chloe Strickland scored – BC 6, MACU 1
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Emylee Campbell singled to right, RBI; Serena Rodriguez scored – BC 6, MACU 2
• TOP 6^th – BC – Megan Forsman flied out to rf; Renay Myers scored on a muffed throw error by c – BC 7, MACU 2
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson grounded out to 2b, RBI; Makenzie Thurman scored – BC 7, MACU 3
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Chana Wolfe singled to left, RBI; Madisson Chavez scored – BC 7, MACU 4
• TOP 7^th – BC – Alena Villegas singled to left, 2 RBI; Chloe Strickland scored; Amanda Waymire scored – BC 9, MACU 4
• TOP 7^th – BC – Kaelyn Fisher doubled to right-center, 3 RBI; Raelyn Myers scored; Alena Villegas scored; Alma Garcia scored – BC 12, MACU 4
• TOP 7^th – BC – Ryan Cooper reached on a fielding error by ss; Riley Kennedy scored – BC 13, MACU 4
• TOP 7^th – BC – Amanda Waymire walked, RBI; Ryan Cooper scored – BC 14, MACU 4
• TOP 7^th – BC – Alma Garcia reached on a fielder's choice to third, RBI; Megan Forsman scored – BC 15, MACU 4

GAME SUMMARY

• The Evangels found themselves in the hole in the early going. After getting a popout to second to start the contest, four of the next five Benedictine batters reached as Rhiannon Martin's two-run homer and Alma Garcia's RBI double to center gave the Ravens an early 3-0 advantage.
• MACU got a run back by taking advantage of a pair of BC errors as pinch runner Faith Kelley came around to score in the bottom of the second, but the Ravens put together another three-run frame in the top of the fifth off a pair of bloop singles into shallow center that extended the Benedictine lead to 6-1.
• After Emylee Campbell dropped an RBI single into right to score Serena Rodriguez in the bottom of the fifth, Benedictine extended the lead back to five in the top of the sixth. With a runner at third and one out, Megan Forsman hit a shallow fly to Hallie Wilson in right. With BC's Raelyn Myers trying to score on a sac fly, Wilson made a sensational on-the-mark throw to home that caused the runner to stop and prepare for a rundown. Unfortunately, the ball popped out of the glove of catcher Talyn Lerma attempting to make the tag, allowing the runner to score and make it a 7-2 game.
• Mid-America Christian brought it back to within striking distance in the bottom of the sixth when Makenzie Thurman started the frame by being pegged by a pitch before an errant throw on Madisson Chavez's grounder to short immediately put runners at second and third. MACU brought both runners in as Brooklyn Wilson chopped an RBI groundout to second before Chana Wolfe slapped an RBI single to left to cut it to a 7-4 game.
• Unfortunately, the Evangels were unable to overcome a rough top of the seventh as the Ravens pushed across eight runs in the frame to run away with the 15-4 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Benedictine scored its 15 runs on 15 hits and committed three errors while Mid-America Christan notched its four runs on three hits and made four miscues.
• Chana Wolfe and Emylee Campbell notched MACU's RBI hits as Wolfe finished 1-for-2 and Campbell slashed 1-for-4.
• Brooklyn Wilson notched her first RBI of the season after finishing 0-for-2 with a walk.
• Gia Reynosa suffered the loss in the circle after tossing six of MACU's seven innings, allowing seven runs, six earned on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
• The loss to Benedictine is the second time in the last two seasons that MACU suffered a non-conference defeat to the Ravens after BC came away with an 8-2 win over the Evangels at the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational on Feb. 10, 2024.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will be seeking to close out the NAIA Invitational on a high note on Sunday as the Evangels take on Montreat (N.C.) for a 2:15 p.m. first pitch on Field 5.