OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Softball team faced a stiff test in its home-opening doubleheader against the most potent offense in the NAIA as the Evangels were able to limit No. 5 Oklahoma City, but MACU fell just short in a pair of 3-0, 7-2 defeats on Thursday afternoon at Allen Field.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Oklahoma City 3, Mid-America Christian 0
  • Mid-America Christian (7-8, 3-2 SAC)
  • Oklahoma City (19-2, 7-0 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Emersen Heron (7-1)
• Loss: Chana Wolfe (3-3)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Chana Wolfe – L, CG, 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
• Emylee Campbell – 1-2, BB
• Kisbel Vizcaya – 1-3, 2B

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 2^nd – OCU – Analiese Rayburn homered down rf line, RBI – OCU 1, MACU 0
• TOP 3^rd – OCU – Tiffany Paul hit a sac fly to cf, RBI; Grace Pollon scored – OCU 2, MACU 0
• TOP 6^th – OCU – Kindalyn Miller hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Analiese Rayburn scored – OCU 3, MACU 0

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian put together an early threat in the top bottom of the first when Stormy Haynes drew a walk before Emylee Campbell dumped a single into shallow left-center field to put runners at first and second with only one away, but a strikeout and a pop out thwarted the threat to keep the game scoreless.
• The Stars didn't take long to take the lead in the top of the second when Analiese Rayburn hammered a line drive down the right field line that just barely stayed inside of the foul pole for a solo shot to make it a 1-0 Stars lead.
• MACU utilized some small ball in the bottom of the second as Brooklyn Wilson reached on a leadoff infield single to second with no one covering first before being moved over to second on a Makenzie Thurman sac bunt and then down to third on a groundout to first. However, the Evangels once again came up empty as the Stars held on for the one-run lead.
• OCU added an insurance run in the top of the third after Grace Pollon led off the frame with a double to left, before being advanced to third on a sac bunt and then scored on Tiffany Paul's sac fly to center, setting the score to 2-0.
• The Evangels nearly duplicated OCU when Kisbel Vizcaya started the bottom of the third with a double to left and was moved to third on a Haynes sac bunt, but MACU was once again prevented from bringing in its first run on a popout to first and a flyout to left to end the frame.
• Oklahoma City put together a major threat in the top of the fifth when Pollon started the inning with a hit-by-pitch before eventually being moved to third on a Paul single before she stole second to put runners at second and third with only one away. However, MACU pitcher Chana Wolfe clamped down by inducing a popout to second and a flyout to right to keep OCU off the board.
• The Stars ability to utilize small ball came to a front in the sixth when a Rayburn leadoff single up the middle got things in motion as she advanced to second on a wild pitch, was moved to third on a flyball out to center and then scored on Kindalyn Miller sac fly to right, wrapping up the scoring at 3-0.
• The Evangels were unable to muster a threat the rest of the way as the Stars held on for the 3-0 win.

GAME NOTES

• Oklahoma City scored its three runs on six hits while the Evangels finished with three hits.
• While MACU pitcher Chana Wolfe saw her scoreless streak come to a tough end at 22 innings, the junior ace still pitched well against the NAIA's top scoring team as she held the Stars to only three runs on six hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts.
• It was just the fourth time this season that the Stars were held to three or less runs this season while OCU is 4-0 in those contests. Oklahoma City came into the games as the top scoring team in the NAIA, averaging 9.9 runs per game.
• The contest marked the first time the Evangels were held scoreless in a game this season.
• The experienced MACU seniors came up with the lone hits for the Evangels as Kisbel Vizcaya slashed 1-for-3 with a double, Emylee Campbell went 1-for-2 with a single and Brooklyn Wilson batted 1-for-3 on a single.
• The double for Vizcaya marked her team-best eighth two-bagger of the year.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Oklahoma City 2, Mid-America Christian 0
  • Mid-America Christian (7-9, 3-3 SAC)
  • Oklahoma City (20-2, 8-0 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Brooklyn Alsip (6-0)
• Loss: Gia Reynosa (1-3)
• Save: Morgandee Sawatsky (1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Kisbel Vizcaya – 2-4, SB, R
• Emylee Campbell – 1-4, 2 RBI
• Makenzie Thurman – 1-1, 2B
• Brooklyn Wilson – 0-1, R, 2 BB

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 1^st – MACU – Emylee Campbell reached on a fielding error by 2b, RBI; Kisbel Vizcaya scored – MACU 1, OCU 0
• TOP 4^th – OCU – Iliana Ashford stole third, scored on a throwing error by c – MACU 1, OCU 1
• TOP 5^th – OCU – Iliana Ashford reached on a throwing error by p, sac bunt; Grace Pollon advanced to third, scored on the error – OCU 2, MACU 1
• TOP 5^th – OCU – Tara Hoehner homered to center, 3 RBI; Iliana Ashford scored; Tiffany Paul scored – OCU 5, MACU 1
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Emylee Campbell singled to center, RBI; Brooklyn Wilson scored – OCU 5, MACU 2
• TOP 7^th – OCU – Analiese Rayburn homered to center, 2 RBI; Iliana Ashford scored – OCU 7, MACU 2

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian got the wheels in-motion to take the early lead in the bottom of the second when Kisbel Vizcaya dropped a leadoff single into left, stole second and was moved down to third on a groundout to first before Emylee Campbell plated her on a hard ground ball that was misplayed by the second baseman as Vizcaya's score made it a 1-0 MACU lead.
• The Evangels looked to be threatening to do more when Isabel Ray was hit by a pitch in the ensuing at-bat to put runners at first and second with one out, but OCU pitcher Brooklyn Alsip induced a popout to the catcher in foul territory and a groundout to second to end the frame.
• The Evangels threatened to add to their lead in the third when Vizcaya reached on another single to left before being moved to third on a sac bunt and to third on a flyout to right. Still, MACU couldn't quite add the insurance run as Heidi Noisey popped out to short after Isabel Ray was hit by a pitch to runners at the corners with two outs.
• While MACU starting pitcher Gia Reynosa was able to hold down the Stars lineup through the first three innings, the Evangels ran into trouble to start the fourth. After Iliana Ashford hammered a double to left to start off the frame, she came around to score when she stole third and an errant throw by the catcher brought her in, tying the contest at 1-1 with one out.
• OCU threatened to do more when an error and a single put runners at first and second with one out, but the inning was abruptly ended when Kindalyn Miller's grounder to short was interfered with by the runner at second trying to advance to third, keeping it to a tie ballgame.
• The Stars took the lead and opened it up in the top of the fifth when a leadoff hit-by-pitch for Grace Pollon and a one-out single by Tiffany Paul started up the rally before an errant throw by Reynosa on an attempted sac bunt allowed the go-ahead run to score, making it a 2-1 game.
• In the very next at-bat, the Evangels found themselves in a hole when Tara Hoehner hammered a three-run homer over the center field wall, giving the Stars the 5-1 advantage.
• It looked as though MACU might be able to rally in the bottom of the fifth when Brooklyn Wilson drew a leadoff walk and Serena Rodriguez reached on a hard-hit, one-out, ground ball single to the pitcher, setting up Campbell for her second RBI with a single up the middle to score Wilson. However, Rodriguez was thrown out on the play trying to advance to third on the throw before Ray flied out to right to end the potential rally.
• After MACU came up with a potential momentum-shifting play in the top of the sixth as Brooke Wyatt was able to strike out the side to strand two OCU runners at second and third, Makenzie Thurman smacked a deep leadoff double to the left field wall and was advanced to third on a groundout to second. Unfortunately, MACU couldn't bring the run in as a strikeout and a flyout to left kept it to a 5-2 contest.
• Oklahoma City added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh when an Ashford leadoff single preceded a Rayburn one-out, two-run homer over the center field wall, capping the scoring at 7-2.

GAME SUMMARY

• The Stars scored their seven runs on eight hits and committed one error while the Evangels scored their two runs on five hits and made three miscues.
• Emylee Campbell was responsible for both of MACU's RBIs as the senior outfielder slashed 1-for-4 in the contest.
• Kisbel Vizcaya continued to be one of MACU's most productive bats, tallying two of the five hits by batting 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.
• Makenzie Thurman notched the only extra-base hit for the Evangels with her pinch-hit double.
• Brooklyn Wilson and Isabel Ray each reached base twice in the game as Wilson slashed 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored while Ray also went 0-for-1 and reached on a pair of hit-by-pitches.
• Gia Reynosa suffered the loss in the circle after allowing four earned runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts over five innings of work.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will have a day off due to the windy conditions on Friday before returning to Allen Field on Saturday to close out the series against the Stars with 1 p.m. first pitch.