STERLING, Kan. – The MACU Softball team split its contests on the first day of the NCCAA Central Region Tournament played at Sterling on Monday as the Evangels came away with a 4-2 win over Southwestern Christian to open the day before suffering a 3-1 defeat to top-seeded Sterling in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE / Mid-America Christian vs. Southwestern Christian
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 4, Southwestern Christian 2
  • Mid-America Christian (28-18)
  • Southwestern Christian (28-25)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Gia Reynosa (9-7)
• Loss: Lainey King (10-8)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Gia Reynosa – W, 7.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 SO
• Hallie Wilson – 2-2, RBI, BB, 2 SB
• Makenzie Thurman – 2-2, R, BB
• Brooklyn Wilson – 0-1, 2 RBI, BB
• Isabel Ray – 1-2, R, BB

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson walks, RBI; Serena Rodriguez scored – MACU 1, SCU 0
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Stormy Haynes hit a sac fly to lf, RBI; Makenzie Thurman scored – MACU 2, SCU 0
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Hallie Wilson singled to right, RBI; Isabel Ray scored – MACU 3, SCU 0
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Brooklyn Wilson hit a sac fly to rf; RBI; Serena Rodriguez scored – MACU 4, SCU 0
• TOP 5^th – SCU – Maliyah Patton tripled to left center, RBI; London McNair scored – MACU 4, SCU 1
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Hannah Keele reached on a fielding error by 2b, RBI; Maliyah Patton scored – MACU 4, SCU 2

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian broke through against Southwestern Christian in the bottom of the second. After Serena Rodriguez and Isabel Ray drew walks to go with a Makenzie Thurman single to load the bases, Brooklyn Wilson drew in the first run by drawing a bases-loaded walk on a 3-1 count to make it 1-0.
• The Evangels added two more in the frame as Stormy Haynes hit a sacrifice fly to the left fielder before Hallie Wilson slapped an RBI single to right to make it a 3-0 MACU lead.
• MACU had the chance to add more to its lead in the bottom of the third as well as the Evangels once again loaded the bases with one out on another Rodriguez walk and back-to-back singles by Thurman and Isabel Ray. Brooklyn Wilson brought one in on a sacrifice fly to right, but that would be all the Evangels would add as SCU's ace Jessica Czikra entered and got Kisbel Vizcaya to pop out to short for the final out as MACU held a 4-0 at the end of three.
• Gia Reynosa ran into her first trouble of the contest in the top of the fourth as Lexi Cahwee hit a two-out ground rule double down the left field line before Holly Elam drew a walk to put runners at first and second. However, Reynosa was able to get out of the jam by getting the 6-4 fielder's choice groundout to end the frame unscathed.
• The Evangels had a golden opportunity to add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth when Hallie Wilson drew a leadoff walk and stole second with no outs. However, MACU came up empty as three-straight infield pop-ups, keeping it to a 4-0 game.
• In the top of the fifth, the Eagles cut their deficit in-half when Danielle Burleson reached on a one-out single up the middle before her courtesy runner London McNair scored from first on an RBI triple to left center hit by Maliyah Patton for SCU's first run of the game.
• SCU cut it to a 4-2 game on Hanna Keele's RBI grounder to second that was misplayed for an error and the Eagles threatened to score more when Keele stole second with only one out. However, Reynosa limited the damage by striking out Trinity Norwood and then got Jess Moralez to ground out to short to end the frame.
• The Eagles put together a big-time threat once again in the top of the sixth. After Brooke Wyatt entered in relief, Cahwee hit a leadoff double to left, forcing head coach Jim Gasso to back to his starter in Reynosa. The sophomore righty came up huge by forcing a sac bunt groundout to first and then back-to-back pop outs to keep pinch-runner Peyton Leba stranded at third to keep it to a 4-2 game.
• Southwestern Christian managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh after Keele drew a two-out walk and stole second, but Reynosa closed out the contest by getting Norwood to fly out to left to give the Evangels the 4-2 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its four runs on five hits and committed one error while the Eagles scored their two runs on four hits.
• While it was tough sledding for the MACU bats with just five hits, Hallie Wilson and Makenzie Thurman combined for four of the five hits as Wilson slashed 2-for-2 with an RBI, a walk and two stolen bases while Thurman slashed 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Isabel Ray came up with the other MACU hit, batting 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
• Brooklyn Wilson recorded a pair of RBIs in the contest with a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly to finish the day 0-for-1 from the dish.
• Gia Reynosa just narrowly missed tossing the complete game shutout, as she was subbed for only one batter as she tossed seven innings and allowed only two earned runs on three hits and was able to work around a season-high three walks to go with two strikeouts.
• By getting the win, Mid-America Christian improved to 4-3 against Southwestern Christian.
• The victory was also MACU's first win in the NCCAA Central Region Tournament since getting a 9-1 win over Ecclesia (Ark.) on May 7, 2019 in Waxahachie, Texas.

GAME TWO / Mid-America Christian vs. Sterling
SCORE

• Sterling 3, Mid-America Christian 1
  • Mid-America Christian (28-19)
  • Sterling (34-17)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: MacKenzie Viehland (15-6)
• Loss: Chloeaunna Madbull-Jim (2-1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Serena Rodriguez – 2-2, RBI, HBP
• Emylee Campbell – 0-2, R, HBP, SB
• Brooke Wyatt – 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 1^st – STER – Mallory Seidel hit-by-pitch, RBI; Mariah Cunningham scored – STER 1, MACU 0
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Serena Rodriguez singled up the middle, Emylee Campbell scored – STER 1, MACU 1
• BTM 4^th – STER – Mariah Cunningham reached on a fielder's choice to ss, RBI; Madilynn Green scored – STER 2, MACU 1
• BTM 4^th – STER – Desiree Perales singled up the middle, RBI; Mariah Cunningham scored – STER 3, MACU 1

GAME SUMMARY

• Sterling took advantage off an early scoring opportunity. While MACU starting pitcher Chana Wolfe was able to retire the first batter on a bunt pop up back to the pitcher, four of the next five Warriors reached on a single and a pair of walks before Wolfe accidentally hit Mallory Seidel with a pitch with the bases loaded to make it a 1-0 game.
• The Evangels had a scoring chance of their own in the top of the second when Serena Rodriguez started off the frame with a line drive single that deflected off the pitcher and then got down to second on a wild pitch. However, MACU came up empty when Warriors starting pitcher MacKenzie Viehland induced a strikeout and back-to-back groundouts to keep Rodriguez at third and hold the lead at 1-0.
• In the top of the fourth, the Evangels managed to tie it up when Emylee Campbell got hit by a pitch to start off the inning, stole second and got down to third on an errant throw by the catcher before Serena Rodriguez drove an RBI single up the middle to plate the tying run at 1-1.
• To start off the bottom of the fifth, Madilynn Green hammered a leadoff double to the right-center field wall before a one-out bunt single by Bryley Westpahl put runners at the corners before Mariah Cunningham got a fielder's choice RBI groundout to plate the go-ahead run. Cunningham came around to score a crucial insurance run after stealing second and got plated on Desiree Perales' RBI groundball single up the middle to set the score to 3-1.
• Mid-America Christian's best chance to tie it back up came in the top of the fifth. After pinch-hitter Madisson Chavez drew a walk before Stormy Haynes drew a hit-by-pitch, both runners got moved down to second and third on a groundout to second with two away, bringing up MACU's hottest hitter in Hallie Wilson. Unfortunately, MACU was unable to bring either runner across as Wilson grounded out to second with a close play at first to keep it a 3-1 game.
• The Evangels tried to put together one more rally in the top of the seventh as Brooklyn Wilson reached on an infield single to second before a fielding error by the third baseman on Haynes' grounder put runners at first and second with one out and the top of the order. Unfortunately, a sharply hit grounder by Kisbel Vizcaya to third incited a game-ending 5-3 double play to end the contest.

GAME NOTES

• Sterling scored its three runs on five hits and committed three errors while the Evangels scored their one run on three hits and made one miscue.
• The result marked the first time the Evangels were held to three or less hits since suffering an 8-2 defeat to No. 3 Science & Arts (Okla.) at Allen Field back on Mar. 31.
• Of MACU's three base knocks, Serena Rodriguez led the charge with two of them, finishing 2-for-2 with the lone RBI and also reached on a hit-by-pitch.
• Brooklyn Wilson was the only other Evangel to record a hit with an infield single in the seventh to finish 1-for-2.
• Emylee Campbell scored the lone run for MACU as she finished 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base that set up the run.
• Chloeaunna Madbull-Jim suffered her first loss in an Evangels uniform after tossing a tough two innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout.
• Brooke Wyatt was a bright spot out of the MACU pen in relief as she managed to keep it a two-run game after tossing two three-up, three-down frames.
• Sterling improved to 13-11 in its all-time series against MACU with the second win in a row with the contest being their first meeting since 2022.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will incredibly be seeing Southwestern Christian for the eighth time this season and the fourth time in postseason play as the two teams will square off on Tuesday in the 11 am elimination game.