PLAINVIEW, Texas – The MACU Softball team struggled to get the bats going in the series-opening doubleheader at Wayland Baptist on Friday afternoon as the Evangels dropped a pair of 4-1, 4-3 decisions at Running Water Draw Park.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Wayland Baptist 4, Mid-America Christian 1
  • Mid-America Christian (5-12, 3-5 SAC)
  • Wayland Baptist (13-7, 3-5 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Kyleigh Kirby (6-2)
• Loss: Emmerson Dickinson (4-6)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Dakota Watson – 3-4, R
• Serena Rodriguez – 2-4, 3B, RBI
• Kiley Flores – 2-3
• Gia Reynosa – 2.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – MACU – Serena Rodriguez tripled to right, RBI; Dakota Watson scored – MACU 1, WBU 0
• BTM 1^st – WBU – Brooke McLaurin reached on a fielder's choice to ss, RBI; Kailee Sanchez scored – MACU 1, WBU 1
• BTM 3^rd – WBU – Yaneli Jaramillo tripled to left, RBI; Kynleigh Kirby scored – WBU 2, MACU 1
• BTM 3^rd – WBU – Mikayla Carrillo doubled to right, RBI; Sierra Rojas scored – WBU 3, MACU 1
• BTM 4^th – WBU – Mikayla Carrillo doubled to right, RBI; Sierra Rojas scored – WBU 3, MACU 1
• BTM 4^th – WBU – Berkley Bradley singled to left, RBI; Kailee Sanchez scored – WBU 4, MACU 1

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian got the wheels in-motion right out of the gate as Dakota Watson opened the contest with a single to center before Serena Rodriguez ripped a one-out triple down the right field line to bring Watson home to make it a 1-0 game.
• Unfortunately, MACU was unable to add another in the frame as the Pioneers threw out Rodriguez trying to score on Mia Macias' groundball out at third to end the inning.
• Wayland Baptist caused all sorts of problems for MACU in the bottom of the first as the first three batters reached on Kailee Sanchez's leadoff double followed by a hit-by-pitch and a walk to load the bases. However, MACU starting pitcher Emmerson Dickinson managed to limit the damage by retiring three of the next four batters with WBU's lone run coming on Brooke McLaurin's fielder's choice groundout to short to make it a 1-1 contest.
• The Evangels had a golden opportunity to take back the lead in the top of the third when Kiley Flores and Watson led off with back-to-back infield singles before Macias drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but MACU was unable to find the go-ahead run as Heidi Noisey grounded out to short to end the frame.
• The Pioneers started off their half of the third with a Kynleigh Kirby single to center before coming around to score on Yaneli Jaramillo's ripped RBI triple down the left field line, giving WBU the 2-1 advantage.
• Wayland Baptist continued to add to their lead by taking advantage of a couple of costly MACU mistakes in the bottom of the fourth as a pair of runners reached on errors before Mikayla Carrillo hammered an RBI double down the right field line to score Sierra Rojas before Berkley Bradley slapped an RBI single with the bases loaded and two outs through the hole at short to bring in Sanchez, setting the score to 4-1.
• After struggling to get runners aboard over the next two innings, the Evangels put together a massive threat in the top of the seventh, loading the bases on Flores' leadoff single to right and back-to-back one-out singles by Kayten Herman and Serena Rodriguez to load the bases. However, MACU came up empty as Kirby retired the next two on a foul popout to the catcher and a fielder's choice groundout to third to wrap-up the contest.

GAME NOTES

• Wayland Baptist scored its four runs on seven hits with an error while the Evangels scored their lone run on nine hits and committed a pair of errors.
• Dakota Watson led MACU's batting efforts with her first career three-hit game, slashing 3-for-4 and scored the team's only run in the game.
• Serena Rodriguez registered the lone RBI, slashing 2-for-4 with a triple.
• Kiley Flores also posted a two-hit game batting out of the nine-hole, slashing 2-for-3 for the contest.
• Emmerson Dickinson suffered the loss in the circle after allowing four runs, just two earned on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
• Gia Reynosa pitched 2.2 innings of strong relief, allowing no runs on only one hit with no walks and a strikeout.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Wayland Baptist 4, Mid-America Christian 3
  • Mid-America Christian (5-14, 3-7 SAC)
  • Wayland Baptist (15-7, 5-5 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Logan Schultz (3-1)
• Loss: Gia Reynosa (1-3)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Serena Rodriguez – 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Saina Willis – 1-3, 3B, RBI
• Mia Macias – 1-3, R, SB
• Kayten Herman – 1-3, R
• Nyssa Dunn – 5 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 4^th – MACU – Saina Willis tripled to right, RBI; Mia Macias scored – MACU 1, WBU 0
• BTM 6^th - WBU – Kynleigh Kirby singled up the middle, RBI; Mikayla Carrillo scored – MACU 1, WBU 1
• BTM 6^th - WBU – Yaneli Jaramillo tripled to left, 2 RBI; Berkley Bradley scored; Sierra Rojas scored – WBU 3, MACU 1
• BTM 6^th - WBU – Reagan Davis singled to center, RBI; Yaneli Jaramillo scored – WBU 4, MACU 1
• TOP 7^th – MACU – Serena Rodriguez hit an inside-the-park homer to left, 2 RBI; Kayten Herman scored – WBU 4, MACU 3

GAME SUMMARY

• Wayland Baptist put together the first major threat for either team in the bottom of the second when Yaneli Jaramillo drew a one-out walk and then advanced all the way to third on Reagan Davis' sac bunt. However, MACU starting pitcher Nyssa Dunn left the runner stranded by striking out Mikenzi Carlo to keep it a scoreless.
• The Evangels managed to put a pair of runners aboard in their halves of the second and third innings, but MACU was unable to find a hit that could drive any of the runners in as the Pioneers kept it to a 0-0 contest.
• MACU finally manufactured a run in the top of the fourth by taking advantage of the Wayland miscue. After Mia Macias reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and then stole second, Saina Willis lined a rifle RBI triple to the right field wall to score Macias and make it a 1-0 contest. The Evangels tried to add another when Willis tagged up on Kayten Herman's shallow flyball to right field, but she was unfortunately thrown out at home trying to score for the inning ending double play.
• The Evangels once again threatened in the fifth as Taylor Martinez reached on an error and Serena Rodriguez drew a walk. After Nyssa Dunn reached on a fielder's choice out to second and then stole second, putting two in scoring position with outs. Unfortunately, Heidi Noisey's liner found the glove of the WBU third baseman to end the threat.
• Unfortuntely for MACU, the Pioneers bats came alive in the top of the sixth as Mikayla Carrillo hammered a leadoff triple to the right-center field gap with one out before five of the next six batters reached as Kynleigh Kirby's RBI single tied it up before Brooke McLaurin hit a single to put two on. After MACU got a fielder's choice out at third, Yaneli Jaramillo ripped a two-RBI triple to the left corner of the outfield before Reagan Davis added an RBI single to set the game to 4-1.
• The Evangels didn't give up without a fight as Kayten Herman led off the seventh with a single before Serena Rodriguez ripped an inside-the-park homer down the left field line out of the reach of the diving left fielder to cut the deficit to 4-3. However, MACU was unable to put the tying baserunner aboard as the Pioneers held on for the win.

GAME NOTES

• Wayland Baptist scored its four runs on six hits and committed a pair of errors while MACU tallied its three runs on five hits.
• Serena Rodriguez led the batting efforts, slashing 2-for-3 with her homer for two RBIs and a run scored.
• Saina Willis tallied MACU's only other RBI, finishing 1-for-3 with a triple.
• Kayten Herman and Mia Macias recorded MACU's other runs with each batter swatting 1-for-3.
• Nyssa Dunn put together her best start of the season, as she only allowed one earned run on two hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will seek to salvage a split tomorrow as Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a noon first pitch.