WAXAHACHIE, Texas – The MACU Softball team narrowly missed getting a series sweep at Nelson as the Evangels picked an 8-0 victory in game one, but ultimately fell in walk-off fashion 6-5 in game two at the Nelson Softball Field on Friday afternoon.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Nelson 0 (5 Inn)
  • Mid-America Christian (7-6, 3-0 SAC)
  • Nelson (6-11, 0-5 SAC)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Isabel Ray – W, CG, SHO, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 SO
• Brooklyn Wilson – 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Kisbel Vizcaya – 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Talyn Lerma – 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI, R

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Isabel Ray (2-0)
• Loss: Macie Blizzard (1-2)

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya homered to left, RBI – MACU 1, NELSON 0
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson homered to left center, 2 RBI; Faith Kelley scored – MACU 3, NELSON 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Talyn Lerma doubled to left center, 2 RBI; Makenzie Thurman scored; Emylee Campbel scored – MACU 5, NELSON 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Gia Reynosa doubled to left, RBI; Talyn Lerma scored – MACU 6, NELSON 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Heidi Noisey singled to center, RBI; Gia Reynosa scored – MACU 7, NELSON 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya singled to left center, RBI; Heidi Noisey scored – MACU 8, NELSON 0

GAME SUMMARY

• It did not take long for Mid-America Christian to get on the board as Kisbel Vizcaya on the second pitch of the game launched a solo home run over the left field fence to make it a 1-0 game.
• The Evangels had a golden opportunity to add to the advantage when Stormy Haynes drew a walk and Makenzie Thurman followed suit with a hit-by-pitch and Kayten Herman drew a walk to load the bases. However, the Lions were able to get out of the jam as Valerie Guzman came in relief and induced a foul out to the third baseman and a pop up to the second baseman to keep it a one-run game.
• It looked as though MACU might put together another threat in the top of the second when Brooklyn Wilson hammered a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, but the Evangels were unable to drive her in as Nelson managed to keep it a 1-0 contest.
• Nelson put together a bases-loaded threat of its own in the bottom of the first when Brooke Kinnibrugh led off the frame with a walk and Marcella Bryan and Avery Coleman hit back-to-back two-out singles to load them up. However, MACU pitcher Isabel Ray was able to get the nine-hole hitter Cylee Panell to pop out to second to end the frame.
• In the top of the fourth, the Evangels added some big time insurance when Brooklyn Wilson got a hold of a pitch over the plate and launched her first home run of the season over the left-center field wall, scoring a pair of runs on the play after Heisy Noisey drew a walk in the previous at-bat to set the score to 3-0.
• The Evangels managed to escape another bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the fourth as the first two batters reached on an infield single and a deep single on a flyball to left. While Ray was able to retire the next two batters on a flyout and a strikeout, pinch-hitter Madyson Wiggins drew a walk to fill up the bases with two away. However, Ray came up clutch once again by getting one of the top hitters in the SAC in Sasha Jennings to flyout to Brooklyn Wilson in center to end the threat.
• In the top of the fifth, the Evangels blew the game wide open. After Campbell and Thurman hit back-to-back singles and Thurman got down to second on the throw to put a pair of runners in scoring position, Talyn Lerma brought them both in on a pinch-hit two-RBI double to the left center field wall, extending the advantage to 5-0.
• The beat went on for MACU when Gia Reynosa as a defensive replacement in right in the bottom of the fourth hammered an RBI double to left in her first plate appearance, setting the score to 6-0.
• The Evangels got two more runs in the top of the fifth on a Heidi Noisey RBI single and a Vizcaya RBI single before closing things out in the bottom of the fifth to secure the 8-0 victory in the five-inning affair.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs on nine hits and committed one error while Nelson finished with five hits and one miscue.
• For Isabel Ray, it was her first complete game shutout of her Evangels career as she allowed just five hits, all of which were singles with two walks and three strikeouts. Overall, Ray improved to 2-0 in the victory.
• It was the first time this season that the Evangels hit two home runs in the same game, coming off the bats of Kisbel Vizcaya and Brooklyn Wilson.
• The game proved to be a much-needed resurgence for senior outfielder Brooklyn Wilson. Historically one of the best power bats in the MACU Softball program, the four-year player was able to hammer her first extra-base hits of the season with a double and a homer to finish with two RBIs and a run.
• After a tough 0-for-5 day from the plate yesterday, MACU's top-hitter in Vizcaya got back on-track with the bat by going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs and a run scored as well.
• Talyn Lerma also turned in a multi-RBI day with her lone pinch hit of the contest as her double drove in a pair before eventually coming across to score in the fifth.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Nelson 7, Mid-America Christian 6
  • Mid-America Christian (7-7, 3-1 SAC)
  • Nelson (7-11, 1-5 SAC)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Brooklyn Wilson – 2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
• Hallie Wilson – 1-2, 2 RBI
• Kisbel Vizcaya – 1-4, 2 RBI

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Trinity Muhle (3-3)
• Loss: Brooke Wyatt (0-3)

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – NELSON – Sasha Jennings grounded out to 2b, RBI; Avery Coleman scored – NELSON 1, MACU 0
• BTM 3^rd – NELSON – Anna Robinett scored on a wild pitch – NELSON 2, MACU 0
• BTM 4^th – NELSON – Sasha Jennings advanced to third on a wild pitch, scored on a throwing error by c – NELSON 3, MACU 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya singled to center, 2 RBI; Chana Wolfe scored; Brooklyn Wilson scored – NELSON 3, MACU 2
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson doubled to left center, RBI; Nyssa Dunn scored – MACU 3, NELSON 3
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Hallie Wilson singled to left center, 2 RBI; Brooklyn Wilson scored; Madisson Chavez scored – MACU 5, NELSON 3
• BTM 7^th – NELSON – Trista Ford hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Juli King scored – MACU 5, NELSON 4
• BTM 7^th – NELSON – Madyson Wiggins singled to right, RBI; Sasha Jennings scored – MACU 5, NELSON 5
• BTM 7^th – NELSON – Avery Coleman doubled to right, RBI; Myranda Lewis scored – NELSON 6, MACU 5

GAME SUMMARY

• Nelson put together a major threat when it managed to load the bases in the bottom of the second as a pair of hit-by-pitches and a walk loaded the bases with only one out. However, MACU starting pitcher Chloeaunna Madbull-Jim limited the damage to just one run on an RBI groundout to second by Sasha Jennings before inducing a groundout to third to close out the inning at 1-0.
• The Lions once again threatened to put up a monster inning in the bottom of the second when Trista Ford led off the frame with a double to left and a Brooke Kinnibrugh walk before put a pair on before a groundout to third moved both runners to second and third with only one away. While pinch-runner Anna Robinett did come around to score on a wild pitch, reliever Brooke Wyatt was able to limit the damage by getting a shallow flyout to center and a groundout to first to keep it to a 2-0 ballgame.
• Nelson added an insurance run in the fourth when Sasha Jennings reached on a bunt single, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch before coming across to score on an errant throw to third, extending the edge to 3-0.
• Mid-America Christian finally broke into the scoring column in the top of the fifth. After Brooklyn Wilson drew a leadoff walk and Heidi Noisey reached on a fielder's choice before pinch-runner Chana Wolfe stole second to put runners at second and third with two outs, Kisbel Vizcaya dropped a single into second to bring both runners home. However, Vizcaya was unfortunately thrown out trying to extend her base hit into a double, ending the frame at 3-2.
• After Nyssa Dunn and Madisson Chavez reached on singles in the top of the sixth, Brooklyn Wilson came up clutch by hitting a game-tying double into shallow left-center that was just barely out of the securable reach of the center fielder Jennings, bringing home Dunn to tie the game at 3-3.
• In the ensuing at-bat, Hallie Wilson gave MACU the 5-3 advantage by dropping a bloop single into left-center as well and was able to get down to third after the left fielder struggled to pick up the ball.
• After MACU reliever Brooke Wyatt put together a strong three innings of relief, the bottom of the seventh was a troubling inning for the Evangels. The first two Lions reached on a walk and a Jennings bunt single before Makenzie Kneip moved both runners over to second and third on a sac bunt.
• A sacrifice fly hit into right Trista Ford cut the deficit to 5-4, the Evangels were just an out away from getting the win. Unfortunately, that out didn't come to pass as Madyson Wiggins single to right tied the game before Avery Coleman hammered a double down the right field line to bring in the walk-off run and end the contest in a 6-5 victory in-favor of the Lions.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its five runs on six hits and committed three errors while Nelson notched its six runs on seven hits with one error.
• Brooklyn Wilson continued to stay hot with the bat as she was the lone Evangel to record multiple hits, slashing 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and scored a pair of runs scored. As a result of the two games of the day, Wilson nearly doubled her batting average by raising it up from .130 to .250. With her two-bagger, the Oklahoma City product has hit 36 career doubles and is just one away from tying Tiffany Holt (2013-16) for third in MACU's career record book.
• Hallie Wilson and Kisbel Vizcaya each finished with a pair of RBIs on the day with Wilson slashing 1-for-2 while Vizcaya batted 1-for-4. For Vizcaya, she built her season-leading RBIs mark to 14.
• Brooke Wyatt suffered a tough loss in the circle, as she allowed four runs, three earned on four hits, two walks over 4.2 innings of work.
• For the second-straight year, three of the four games in the series were decided by a single run and like last year where the series finale was won on a walk-off in MACU's favor, the series was ended on a Nelson walk-off this season.
• The loss to ended MACU's win streak at six.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will now make preparations to host a massive series for its first home games of the year as the Evangels will take on No. 5 Oklahoma City at Allen Field on Mar. 14-15. The opening doubleheader is slated for a 4 pm start.