GRAPEVINE, Texas – The MACU Softball Team fought back for an extra-inning victory in the 8-7 thriller in the rematch against Geneva College in efforts to keep its NCCAA World Series hopes alive at the Oak Grove Softball Complex Tuesday afternoon.
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Geneva College 7
  • Mid-America Christian (31-21)
  • Geneva (31-15)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Brooke Wyatt (5-5)
• Loss: Sophia Tvaroch (12-7)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Kisbel Vizcaya – 2-5, 2B, 2 R, SB
• Emylee Campbell – 1-4, 2 R, RBI, SB
• Gia Reynosa – 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 SO
• Madisson Chavez – 2-4, 2 R
• Isabel Ray – 1-3, 2 RBI

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 1^st – MACU – Emylee Campbell singled to right, RBI; Kisbel Vizcaya scored – MACU 1, GC 0
• TOP 2^nd – GC – Payton James reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, RBI; Julia Hart scored – MACU 1, GC 1
• TOP 2^nd – GC – Megan Gray flied out to rf, sacrifice fly, RBI; Justine Robbins scored – GC 2, MACU 1
• TOP 2^nd – GC – Madison Rapp scored on a throwing error by c – GC 3, MACU 1
• TOP 2^nd – GC – Molly Shelley singled up the middle, advanced to second on the throw, RBI; Payton James scored – GC 4, MACU 1
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Isabel Ray lined out to cf, sacrifice fly, RBI; Emylee Campbell scored – GC 4, MACU 2
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Makenzie Thurman singled to left center, advanced to second on the throw, advanced to third on the error; Madisson Chavez advanced to third, scored on a throwing error by ss – GC 4, MACU 3
• TOP 4^th – GC – Lexi Zanic reached first on a dropped fly by rf; M. Shelley scored on the error – GC 5, MACU 3
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Isabel Ray singled through the right side, advanced to second on the throw, RBI; Madisson Chavez advanced to third, scored on the throw; Emylee Campbell scored – GC 5, MACU 5
• TOP 8^th – GC – Molly Shelley doubled to left field, RBI; Makenna Redfern scored – GC 6, MACU 5
• TOP 8^th – GC – Kyra Wilcox singled to left center, advanced to second on the throw, RBI; Molly Shelley scored – GC 7, MACU 5
• BTM 9^th – MACU – Kisbel Vizcaya reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, RBI; Kayten Herman scored – GC 7, MACU 6
• BTM 9^th – MACU – Hallie Wilson grounded out to p, RBI; Brooklyn Wilson scored – GC 7, MACU 7
• BTM 9^th – MACU – Emylee Campbell reached first on a fielding error by 2b; Kisbel Vizcaya scored – MACU 8, GC 7

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian executed a run in the first inning behind a leadoff double to left-center by Kisbel Vizcaya. With a runner in scoring position, Emylee Campbell dropped an RBI single to right, plating Vizcaya and giving MACU the early 1-0 lead.
• The lead did not last long for the Evangels as Geneva pushed four across in the second, back-to-back and a walk loaded up the bases with nobody out for the Golden Tornadoes, and all three runners came across without a hit on a fielder's choice, a sac fly and a throwing error put Geneva up 3-1. They added one more in the inning on a Molly Shelley single up the box, grabbing a 4-1 lead after an inning and a half complete.
• Relieving starter Isabel Ray, Gia Reynosa battled back from a bases loaded nobody out situation in the third, picking up a strikeout, a groundout and a pop up, firing up a much-needed scoreless inning by the Evangels.
• The momentum stayed on the MACU side in the back half of the inning, Hallie Wilson started it off with an infield single on a grounder to short, she swapped places with Emylee Campbell who got on via a fielders choice. Campbell got into scoring position by stealing second, moved to third on a single to left by Madisson Chavez and scored on a sac fly to center by Isabel Ray. With Chavez on first and two down, Makenzie Thurman banged a hard hit ball in the left center gap, as she was hustling for second the Golden Tornadoes fired it in trying to catch her for the out, however she peeled back just in time, getting in a rundown that resulted in her advancing to second and Chavez wheeling around to score as well, making it a 4-3 game.
• Shelley reached on a single down the third base line and swiped second with one out in the fourth. Reynosa retired Kyra Wilcox on a liner to right, as Shelley shifted to third in the process. It appeared as though MACU was going to escape the inning, however Ray was unable to secure a pop up in right, letting Shelley cross home and the Golden Tornadoes extend their lead to 5-3.
• Heidi Noisey connected for a base hit to right starting off the fifth, Reynosa then moved her to second on a sac bunt, but Geneva starter McKenzie Rapp got out of it by getting Vizcaya to groundout and Hallie Wilson to fly out to center, keeping the Golden Torandoes up by a 5-3 advantage.
• MACU rallied in the fifth behind a Campbell hit by pitch leading off the inning, Chavez followed it up with a single through the left side and a single into right center by Ray allowed both runners to come across, knotting it up at 5-5. Chavez demonstrated some heads up baserunning as she dashed for home when first basemen Julia Hart turned her back in attempt to tag out Ray at first. The Evangels put the go-ahead runner at third with one out, but the Golden Tornadoes minimized the damage turning to Sophia Tvaroch in relief, as she got Talyn Lerma out on a grounder and struck out Chana Wolfe swinging.
• The Golden Tornadoes put a pair of runners in scoring position on a dropped third strike and an error, Reynosa dug deep though, getting Lexi Zanic on a fly out to left, keeping it tied up at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
• MACU threatened to push the go-ahead run across in the sixth with Vizcaya on second with two outs and Campbell at the dish, however Wilcox ranged to her right on a slide and came up with the throw to first, ending the inning with the score remaining at 5-5.
• Reynosa remained dominant in the circle, tossing a 1-2-3 seventh behind a couple of strikeouts, allowing MACU to need just one across in the seventh to walk it off.
• The Evangels went down in order in the seventh, allowing Geneva to fight back with a run on a two-out double to left by Shelley, her third hit of the day, scoring Makenna Redfern and grabbing a 6-5 lead. The Golden Tornadoes scratched another run across on a Wilcox single to left, and Brooke Wyatt entered in relief and did a good job holding Geneva to just two runs by getting Hart to ground out.
• MACU put the tying run on base after back-to-back singles by Kayten Herman and Brooklyn Wilson. In her first at bat of the season, Wyatt executed a perfect bunt that she was able to leg out, making it three straight singles and loading up the bases with nobody out. Vizcaya then stepped up and brought home a run on a grounder to short, however Geneva got the force out at second for the first out. The Evangels got both in scoring position behind a Vizcaya stolen bag, and Hallie Wilson softly hit one back to the pitcher Tvaroch, she surprisingly elected to go to first for the out, allowing Brooklyn Wilson to come home and once again tie it up, with a 7-7 score.
• With the game-winning run on third and two outs, Campbell sliced one to second that was briefly bobbled by Wilcox, but the hustle of Campbell allowed her to dive into first, just beating the throw and proving the Evangels with an 8-7 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian tallied 13 hits while giving up eight to Geneva. Despite committing four errors, the Evangels took advantage of the mistakes by the Golden Tornadoes. Geneva allowed three unearned runs including the game-winning run in the eighth.
• Kisbel Vizcaya and Madisson Chavez led the offense with two-hit games, Vizcaya slashed 2-5 with a double, a pair of runs, an RBI and stole a base. Chavez continued to swing a solid stick, she drilled a couple singles and scored twice.
• Emylee Campbell scored twice and finished 1-for-4 with a stolen bag.
• Kayten Herman, Brooklyn Wilson and Gia Reynosa all had one at bat but made it count, they all concluded with a 1-for-1 stat line.
• Gia Reynosa shined in relief, pitching in her third straight game of the World Series she tossed six innings, getting the no-decision nonetheless she allowed just three runs, (two earned), on five hits, two walks and struck out five.
• Brooke Wyatt earned her fifth win of the season, she did a phenomenal job on both sides of the ball, as she retired the only batter she faced for the final out of the eighth, holding the damage done by Geneva. Wyatt then stepped in the box for the first time all season and executed a textbook bunt, which she ended up legging out for her first career hit as an Evangel.
• Heidi Noisey reached base safely twice, she went 1-for-1 with a walk.
• MACU got some solid play from outfielders Hallie Wilson and Isabel Ray, Hallie Wilson went 1-for-5 with the game-tying RBI and Ray drove in two after going 1-for-3 with a sac fly.
• MACU moves to 2-0 over Geneva during NCCAA World Series play with the win.

UP NEXT

• MACU will be rematched against Sterling in the 1 p.m. elimination game semifinal at the NCCAA World Series on Wednesday. If the Evangels win, they will play the winner of Jessup and Fort Lauderdale at 3:30 p.m in the championship game.