FORT WORTH, Texas – The MACU Softball team closed out its four-game series against Texas Wesleyan with its first Sooner Athletic Conference win of the season as the Evangels came away with a 7-3 victory after falling 7-1 in game one at Sycamore Park on Saturday afternoon.
 
Game One
SCORE

• Texas Wesleyan 7, Mid-America Christian 1
  • Mid-America Christian (2-10, 0-3 SAC)
  • Texas Wesleyan (9-7, 3-0 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Kylie Barnes (6-2)
• Loss: Nyssa Dunn (0-4)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Jorjanna King – 1-3, HR, RBI, R
• Saina Willis – 1-2
• Mia Macias – 1-3
• Gia Reynosa – 4 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – TXWES – Arieanna Hernandez homered to left-center, RBI – TXWES 1, MACU 0
• BTM 2^nd – TXWES – Kadynce Crenshaw doubled to left, RBI; KK Moore scored – TXWES 2, MACU 0
• BTM 2^nd – TXWES – Haley Delarosa singled to right, RBI; Kadynce Crenshaw scored – TXWES 3, MACU 0
• BTM 3^rd – TXWES – Kylie Barnes homered to left-center, 2 RBI; Payton Blanco scored – TXWES 5, MACU 0
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Jorjanna King homered to left, RBI – TXWES 5, MACU 1
• BTM 6^th – TXWES – Haley Delarosa singled to left, 2 RBI; Kadynce Crenshaw scored; KK Moore scored – TXWES 7, MACU 1

GAME SUMMARY

• While Texas Wesleyan threatened early in the bottom of the first with Rachet Houston getting on off a one-out single before getting down to second on a stolen base and third on a sac bunt, MACU starting pitcher Nyssa Dunn got out of the jam by inducing Kylie Barnes into a popout to second to end the threat.
• Unfortunately, the Evangels wouldn't be able to hold the Rams down for long as TXWES opened the second inning with an Arieanna Hernandez homer to left-center and a KK Moore double to center before Kadynce Crenshaw and Haley Delarosa each came up with a two-out RBI double and RBI single to make it a 3-0 Rams advantage.
• The Evangels tried to get a run back in their half of the third when Dakota Watson drew a leadoff walk and was moved down to second on Saina Willis' sac bunt. Mia Macias hit a single off the glove of the third baseman through the left side that sent Watson home, but unfortunately, she was thrown out trying to score to keep MACU off the board.
• The Rams started off their half of the third with a Payton Blanco single before Kylie Barnes hammered a homer to left-center to extend the edge to 5-0, prompting MACU to go to their pen in Gia Reynosa.
• Mid-America Christian hit their first home run of the season with one out in the top of the fifth when freshman Jorjanna King hammered her first career dinger over the left field wall to cut it to a 5-1 game.
• Texas Wesleyan took advantage of a two-out throwing error on Crenshaw's base knock to left to put runners at second and third with two outs before Delarosa delivered a two-RBI single to left to seal the 7-1 result.

GAME NOTES

• Texas Wesleyan scored its seven runs on nine hits and committed two errors while the Evangels notched their lone run on three hits and made two miscues.
• Jorjanna King led the MACU bats with her 1-for-3 day with her solo shot resulting in an RBI and a run.
• Saina Willis and Mia Macias notched the only other two hits for the Evangels as Willis went 1-for-2 while Macias slashed 1-for-3.
• Gia Reynosa pitched four strong innings of relief for MACU in getting the no decision, allowing only two unearned runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
• With the result, Texas Wesleyan won the series, making it the first time the Rams won the season series against the Evangels since the 2018 campaign.

Game Two
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 7, Texas Wesleyan 3
  • Mid-America Christian (3-10, 1-3 SAC)
  • Texas Wesleyan (9-8, 3-1 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Emmerson Dickinson (3-4)
• Loss: Reagan Avants (0-3)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Kayten Herman – 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Jorjanna King – 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Taylor Martinez – 3-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB
• Emmerson Dickinson – W, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – MACU – Kayten Herman homered to left-center, RBI – MACU 1, TXWES 0
• BTM 2^nd – TXWES – Regina Rodriguez reached on a fielder's choice to short; KK Moore scored on a throwing error by 2b – MACU 1, TXWES 1
• TOP 3^rd – MACU – Kayten Herman doubled down lf line, 2 RBI; Kiley Flores scored; Taylor Martinez scored – MACU 3, TXWES 1
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Taylor Martinez singled to center, RBI; Dakota Watson scored – MACU 4, TXWES 1
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Jorjanna King homered to left-center, 3 RBI; Kiley Flores scored; Taylor Martinez scored – MACU 7, TXWES 1
• BTM 5^th – TXWES – Kylie Barnes doubled to right-center, 2 RBI; Rachet Houston scored; Haley Delarosa scored – MACU 7, TXWES 3

GAME SUMMARY

• Kayten Herman got the scoring going in the top of the first when she launched a deep, no-doubt homer over the left-center field wall to make it an early 1-0 game.
• The Rams took advantage of a couple of MACU miscues in the bottom of the second as a one-out walk and an errant throw to first put runners at first and second. While MACU was able to get the 6-4 putout on Regina Rodriguez's fielder's choice grounder to short, the errant throw to first to try and turn the double play allowed KK Moore to score, tying game up at 1-1.
• Mid-America Christian put together an immediate response in the top of the third when Taylor Martinez slugged a double to the right-center field wall before Kiley Flores dropped a bloop single down the right field line. After coming up with a big hit in the first, Herman rifled a liner double down the left field line to plate both runners before being unfortunately thrown out at third trying to turn it into a triple.
• The Evangels continued its hot hitting going into the fourth as Dakota Watson started it with a one-out single to left and got to second on a passed ball before Taylor Martinez drove her in with an RBI single to center to kame it 4-1. After Kiley Flores was hit by a pitch and both Flores and Martinez double-stole second and third, Jorjanna King mashed a three-run shot over the left-center field wall to stretch the advantage to 7-1.
• The Rams threatened to put together a big inning in the fifth as Kylie Barnes hammered a 2-RBI double to right-center before Hernandez's single and advance to second on the throw put two in scoring position with only one out.
• However, MACU pitcher Emmerson Dickinson was able to navigate out of the jam, striking out Moore before retiring Ally Hinojosa on a grounder to third to keep it to a 7-3 game.
• The Evangels held down the fort the rest of the way as MACU cruised to the 7-3 victory for its first SAC win of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its seven runs on 12 hits and committed a pair of errors while the Rams scored their three runs on seven hits and also tallied two miscues.
• It was a big day at the dish for Kayten Herman, who finished 2-for-4 with a double and a homer for three RBIs and a run scored while Jorjanna King also slashed a 2-for-4 line, hitting her second home run in back-to-back games and also notched a career-best three RBIs and a run scored.
• Taylor Martinez also put together a career day at the dish, going 3-for-3 with a double and hit an RBI to go with two runs scored as well as a stolen base.
• Heidi Noisey added a pair of hits on a 2-for-4 performance while Kiley Flores finished 1-for-3 and reached on a hit-by-pitch, allowing her to score two runs and steal a base.
• Emmerson Dickinson picked up her third win of the season in the circle in relief, allowing only two earned runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts over five innings of work.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will be at home for the first time this season on Friday, March 6 as the Evangels open a four-game series against Southwestern Christian with the opening doubleheader slated for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch at Allen Field.