MCPHERSON, Kan. – Freshman shortstop Taylor Martinez swung an electric bat while the MACU Softball team got some strong pitching performances on Friday as the Evangels picked up an 8-4, 4-2 doubleheader sweep at Central Christian on Friday.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Central Christian 4
  • Mid-America Christian (10-16, 8-9 SAC)
  • Central Christian (11-16, 4-13 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Emmerson Dickinson (6-7)
• Loss: Clarissa Rejino (4-9)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Taylor Martinez – 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Jorjanna King – 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
• Emmerson Dickinson – 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI; W, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
• Kayten Herman – 2-4, 2 2B, R
• Heidi Noisey- 2-4, RBI, R

SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – CCCK – Abby Schleisman scored on a passed ball – CCCK 1, MACU 0
• TOP 3^rd – MACU – Gia Reynosa stole second; scored on throwing error by c – MACU 1, CCCK 1
• TOP 4^th – MACU – Emmerson Dickinson doubled to center, 2 RBI; Jorjanna King scored; Taylor Martinez scored – MACU 3, CCCK 1
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Heidi Noisey singled to center, RBI; Kayten Herman scored – MACU 4, CCCK 1
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Taylor Martinez doubled down rf line, 2 RBI; Heidi Noisey scored; Saina Willis scored – MACU 6, CCCK 1
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Jorjanna King homered to left-center, 2 RBI; Taylor Martinez scored – MACU 8, CCCK 1
• BTM 6^th – CCCK – Abby Schleisman doubled to right-center, RBI; Hallie Thomas scored – MACU 8, CCCK 2
• BTM 6^th – CCCK – Baylee Blackburn singled thru right side, RBI; Abby Schleisman scored – MACU 8, CCCK 3
• BTM 6^th – CCCK – Paige Major doubled down lf line, RBI; Emerson Quillin scored – MACU 8, CCCK 4

GAME SUMMARY

• Both teams had early opportunities in the first but neither team was able to push across a run. Kayten Herman reached on a one-out double and then got down to third on a dropped third strike, but MACU couldn't drive her in. Central Christian faced similar luck in their half when Ciara Valadez reached on a two-base error and then was moved down to third on an infield single to put runners at the corners with two outs. However, MACU starting pitcher Emmerson Dickinson induced a fielder's choice groundout to keep the runners at bay.
• The Tigers struck first in their half of the second as a pair of errors and Baylee Blackburn's single up the middle loaded the bases with only one out. However, the only run they were able to push across came on a passed ball to make it a 1-0 game.
• The Evangels tied it up in their half of the third by taking advantage of CCCK miscue of its own. After Gia Reynosa was hit by a pitch to start things off, she stole second and managed to get all the way home when an errant throw by the catcher allowed the junior outfielder to score on the two-base error.
• MACU captured the lead for the first time in the top of the fourth by stringing together a two-out rally as Taylor Martinez ripped a two-RBI double to the right-center field wall and Jorjanna King drew a walk before Emmerson Dickinson helped herself out with a two-RBI line drive double to the center field wall, making it a 3-1 game.
• The Evangels bats once again came alive with two outs in the top of the fifth. Following Herman's one-out groundball double up the middle that was redirected into right-center by the diving shortstop and Saina Willis' walk, Heidi Noisey slapped an RBI single into shallow center, getting down to second on the throw to extend the edge to 4-1.
• MACU added two more runs in the frame in the next two at-bats as Martinez dropped a Texas Leaguer bloop double down the right field line to bring in two more runs before Jorjanna King mashed a two-run homer over the left-center field wall to set the score to 8-1.
• The Tigers strung together a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the sixth as four-straight batters reached on a Hallie Thomas single through the left side and Abby Schleisman's RBI double to the right-center field gap. Baylee Blackburn followed by slapping an RBI single through the right side before Paige Major hit a sharp groundball RBI double down the third base line, cutting the CCCK deficit in-half at 8-4.
• Despite the tough inning, Dickinson put together a solid bounce-back inning in the seventh to close it out, retiring three of the next four batters on a strikeout and a pair of groundouts around a walk to seal the win.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs on nine hits and navigated around three errors while the Tigers scored their four runs on six hits and committed an error.
• Three different Evangels recorded multiple RBIs as Taylor Martinez led the batting efforts, slashing 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles with two RBIs and a pair of runs.
• Jorjanna King also notched a pair of RBIs and runs off a 1-of-3 day at the dish with her team-leading third homer to go along with a walk.
• Emmerson Dickinson was effective both with the bat and in the circle, slashing 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. She also earned her sixth win of the season in the circle, allowing only three earned runs on six hits with two walks and tying a career-high eight strikeouts.
• By batting 2-for-4 with a run and a pair of doubles, Kayten Herman moved into a tie for the team-lead with six two-baggers on the year.
• Heidi Noisey continued to build on her team RBI lead with her 14^th driven and also scored a run on her 2-for-4 day.
• The six extra-base hits, five doubles and a homer, tied the team's season-high for extra-base hits this season after mashing three doubles and three triples in an 8-7 win at Wayland Baptist on Mar. 14.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 4, Central Christian 2
  • Mid-America Christian (11-16, 9-9 SAC)
  • Central Christian (11-17, 4-14 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Nyssa Dunn (2-5)
• Loss: Chelsie Hirtler (6-7)
• Save: Gia Reynosa (1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Taylor Martinez – 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB
• Jorjanna King – 1-3, RBI
• Nyssa Dunn – W, 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 SO
• Gia Reynosa – SV, 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 4^th – MACU – Taylor Martinez homered to center, 2 RBI; Saina Willis scored – MACU 2, CCCK 0
• BTM 4^th – CCCK – Paige Major singled to right, RBI; Aryanna Palfy scored – MACU 2, CCCK 1
• TOP 5^th – MACU – Kayten Herman reached on a fielder's choice; Kiley Flores scored – MACU 3, CCCK 1
• BTM 5^th – CCCK – Ciara Valadez singled to short, RBI; Chelsie Hirtler scored – MACU 3, CCCK 2
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Jorjanna King singled to left, RBI; Taylor Martinez scored – MACU 4, CCCK 2

GAME SUMMARY

• Mid-America Christian threatened early against Central Christian's ace in Chelsie Hirtler as Serena Rodriguez and Mia Macias each hit singles in the first three at-bats before Saina Willis' sac bunt moved both runners in scoring position with two outs. Unfortunately, a collision between Macias and the shortstop on Heidi Noisey's groundball on the left side abruptly ended the frame on the interference call.
• Neither team was able to get baserunner over the next five frames before the Evangels finally broke through in the top of the fifth by once again mustering a two-out rally. After Macias started off the frame with a single to center, the next two batters were retired on a fielder's choice groundout and a strikeout before Taylor Martinez ripped her first homer of the season over the center field wall to make it a 2-0 game.
• Central Christian mustered a massive threat in the bottom of the fourth as Aryanna Palfy's leadoff double down the left field line before a hit-by-pitch and a Jaci Jeffers shallow flyball single to center loaded the bases with only one out. While Paige Major slapped an RBI single into right field to bring in one run to cut it to 2-1, MACU starting pitcher Nyssa Dunn limited the damage by inducing a popout to first and a lineout to third to keep a one-run game.
• The Evangels got the wheels in-motion to get the run back in the top of the fifth. After Gia Reynosa reached on a single through the left side and Kiley Flores was hit by a pitch in the first two at-bats, both runners successfully pulled off a double steal. While the Tigers catcher managed to tag out the runner trying to score on Kayten Herman's squeeze bunt attempt, some heads-up base running by the MACU right fielder to get in a rundown that allowed Flores to score, setting the score to 3-1.
• The Tigers once again answered back with a run in the bottom of the fifth by taking advantage of a pair of MACU errors. After Hirtler reached on an error at third to start things off, Dunn retired the next two batters. Unfortunately, an Ashley Vaccaro single to right and a throwing error by the catcher allowed Hirtler to get down to third before Ciara Valadez chopped an infield single to the shortstop, allowing the run to score and close it to 3-2.
• While a double play looked like it was going to spoil a potential strong inning for MACU in the top of the sixth, Martinez once again came up huge by slapping a two-out single up the middle and stole second, allowing Jorjanna King to bring her in with an RBI single dropped into left to double-up the lead at 4-2.
• While Central Christian threatened to get the run back in its half of the sixth after Jeffers led off the frame with a single to left before eventually stealing second and third with one out, MACU closer Gia Reynosa struck out the next two batters to keep the Tigers at bay.
• Mid-America Christian managed to load up the bases with two outs in its half of the seventh on a Flores single, Serena Rodriguez reaching on an error and Saina Willis drawing a four-pitch walk with two outs. Unfortunately, MACU's three other at-bats were unable to leave the infield to keep it a two-run game.
• Reynosa locked down the game with a three-up, three-down seventh with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to secure the 4-2 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its four runs on nine hits with a pair of errors while the Tigers tallied their two runs on six hits with one miscue.
• Taylor Martinez continued to be the team's batting leaders, slashing 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored to go with a stolen base.
• Jorjanna King was the only other Evangel to record an RBI in the contest, finishing 1-for-3 for the game.
• Mia Macias was the only other MACU player to finish with multiple hits for the game, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles at the dish.
• Saina Willis and Kiley Flores scored MACU's two other runs after each batted 1-for-2 on the day with each notching a stolen base as well.
• Nyssa Dunn continued to pitch well for MACU in the circle as she allowed only two runs, one earned on five hits with no walks and a strikeout over five innings of work.
• Gia Reynosa locked down her first save of the season after tossing two strong innings of relief, tallying four strikeouts while allowing only one baserunner.
• The Evangels finished with a season-high five stolen bases in the contest.
• By locking down the two wins, MACU has locked down no worse than a split in the series while extending its win streak to 10 against the Tigers.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will finish out the series on Saturday with the doubleheader slated for a noon first pitch.