OKLAHOMA CITY – After having its home-opener moved multiple times due to weather, the MACU Softball team was finally able to get their first games at Allen Field underway on Saturday as the Evangels split a pair of thrilling contests against Southwestern Christian. The Evangels rallied for an exciting 8-6 victory in the opening game before the Eagles pulled off a rally of their own in game two to seize a 5-4 result.
 
GAME ONE
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Southwestern Christian 6
  • Mid-America Christian (4-10, 2-3 SAC)
  • Southwestern Christian (8-3, 1-2 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Emmerson Dickinson (4-4)
• Loss: Jessica Czikra (3-1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Emmerson Dickinson – W, CG, 7 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
• Mia Macias – 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB
• Heidi Noisey – 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 RBI
• Madison Schroeder – 2-3, RBI, R
• Kiley Flores – 2-3, RBI, R

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – SCU – Jessie Moralez singled thru right side, 2 RBI; Trinity Norwood scored; Kylee Coy scored – SCU 2, MACU 0
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Kayten Herman singled to left, RBI; Mia Macias scored – SCU 2, MACU 1
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Madison Schroeder singled thru right side, right side, RBI; Jorjanna King scored; Serena Rodriguez scored on throwing error by c – MACU 3, SCU 2
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Kylie Flores singled to right, RBI; Madison Schroeder scored – MACU 4, SCU 2
• TOP 4^th – SCU – Raynie Tom reached on a fielding error by ss; Jasmine Olivas scored; Payton Leba scored – MACU 4, SCU 4
• TOP 4^th – SCU – Hannah Keele tripled to left-center, RBI; Raynie Tom scored – SCU 5, MACU 4
• TOP 5^th – SCU – Jessie Moralez grounded out to 2b, RBI; Trinity Norwood scored – SCU 6, MACU 4
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Mia Macias doubled to left-center, 2 RBI; Taylor Martinez scored; Saina Willis scored – MACU 6, SCU 6
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Heidi Noisey singled to right, 2 RBI; Dakota Watson scored; Kiley Flores scored – MACU 6, SCU 6

GAME SUMMARY

• Southwestern Christian got the wheels in-motion right out of the gate in the top of the first as Hannah Keele and Kylee Coy reached on back-to-back singles to start the contest. While it looked like MACU starting pitcher Emmerson Dickinson might get out of the jam after inducing a fielder's choice groundout at third and a lineout to first, SCU's Jessie Moralez came up clutch after a wild pitch moved both runners up as she lined a two-RBI single through the right side to make it an early 2-0 SCU lead.
• The Evangels mustered a major threat of their own in their half of the first as three of the first four batters reached on a Dakota Watson leadoff single and a one-out Heidi Noisey single proceeded Jorjanna King reaching safely on a fielder's choice to load the bases with only one out. Unfortunately, MACU came up empty as a comebacker to the pitcher in the circle allowed the Eagles to get the force out at home before a groundout to second allowed SCU to escape the jam unscathed.
• Despite coming up empty in the first, the Evangels stayed hot with the bats to push across a run in the second as back-to-back base hits by Taylor Martinez and Mia Macias allowed the first two to reach. Unfortunately, a collision between Martinez and Keele on Flores' ground ball on the left side caused the first out to be recorded on runner interference before Watson lofted a deep enough flyball out allowed both runners to advance a base. While Kayten Herman came up with an RBI single to score Macias, Flores got caught between third and home to end the frame at 2-1.
• One of the best bats in the NAIA in Keele continued to cause trouble as she started off the third with a single up the middle and got down to third on Coy's comebacker to the pitcher with only one out. However, this time Dickinson was able to get out of the jam by striking out the next two batters to end the frame.
• MACU's bats continued to stay blistering hot in the third inning when the Evangels notched three consecutive one-out hits off the bats of King, Serena Rodriguez, and Madison Schroeder to take the 3-2 lead before Kiley Flores added a two-out RBI single to right to add some insurance and make it a 4-2 contest.
• While the Evangels were close to getting out of trouble with two outs and runners at second and third in the top of the fourth, a costly fielding error at short allowed the tying runs to score before Keele ripped an RBI triple to the left-center field wall that gave the Eagles the 5-4 advantage.
• The Eagles added another insurance run in the fifth when Trinity Norwood reached on an infield single and stole a pair of bases before Moralez knocked in her third RBI with a groundout to second to set the score to 6-4.
• In their half of the fifth, the Evangels immediately went to work as Schroeder and Martinez started it off with base knocks before Macias came up with MACU's only extra-base hit of the contest by ripping a two-RBI double to the left-center field gap to score both runners and tie the game at 6-6. While back-to-back singles by Flores and Watson with an out on the basepaths and a foul out down the first base line moved runners to second and third with two outs, Heidi Noisey came up with the clutch two-RBI single into shallow right field to plate both runners and give MACU the 8-6 advantage.
• MACU had a chance to add some insurance in the sixth when Rodriguez reached on a leadoff single and got all the way to third on an errant throw by the pitcher trying to convert a lineout double play with only one out. However, the Evangels were unable to push the run across to keep it a two-score game.
• The Eagles did manage to get the tying run on-base on a Coy one-out single and Danielle Burleson getting hit by a pitch with two outs, but Dickinson finished it off by getting Moralez to watch strike three to seal the 8-6 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs while racking up a season-high 16 hits to go with two errors while the Eagles notched their six runs on nine hits with three miscues.
• It was a balanced effort for the MACU lineup as all nine players in the batting order recorded a hit while seven different players finished with two hits.
• Mia Macias and Heidi Noisey were the two most productive bats as Macias slashed 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored while Noisey notched her two RBIs on a 2-for-4 day from the dish.
• Madison Schroeder and Kiley Flores each recorded an RBI and a run after each hitter slashed 2-for-3 in the opening contest.
• Emmerson Dickinson picked up her fourth win of the season in the circle, going the distance after allowing six runs, but only three earned on nine hits, only walking one batter while notching a career-best eight strikeouts.
• With the victory, Mid-America Christian picked up its first home win of the season as well as its first back-to-back win after getting the 7-3 victory at Texas Wesleyan last week to close out the series.

GAME TWO
SCORE

• Southwestern Christian 5, Mid-America Christian 4
  • Mid-America Christian (4-11, 2-4 SAC)
  • Southwestern Christian (9-3, 2-2 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Macey Weger (3-2)
• Loss: Gia Reynosa (0-2)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Serena Rodriguez – 1-3, 3B, RBI, R
• Kiley Flores – 2-3, 2B, R
• Heidi Noisey – 1-3, 2B, R
• Saina Willis – 1-1, RBI
• Kayten Herman – 1-4, RBI

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – SCU – Jessie Moralez hit a sac bunt to c, RBI; Hannah Keele scored – SCU 1, MACU 0
• TOP 3^rd – SCU – Hailey Kuhlman singled down lf line, RBI; Kylee Coy scored – SCU 2, MACU 0
• BTM 4^th – MACU – Serena Rodriguez tripled to right-center, RBI; Heidi Noisey scored – SCU 2, MACU 1
• BTM 4^th – MACU – Jorjanna King grounded out to 3b, RBI; Serena Rodriguez scored – MACU 2, SCU 2
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Saina Willis hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Mia Macias scored – MACU 3, SCU 2
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Kayten Herman hit a sac fly to cf, RBI; Kylie Flores scored – MACU 4, SCU 2
• TOP 6^th – SCU – Alexis Underwood hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Kamry Snapp scored – MACU 4, SCU 3
• TOP 7^th – SCU – Kelsie McCollum singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Ebony Garza scored; Kylee Coy scored – SCU 5, MACU 4

GAME SUMMARY

• Southwestern Christian threatened to score multiple runs in the top of the first when Hannah Keele and Kylee Coy reached on back-to-back singles to start before Keele stole third and then scored on Jessie Moralez's safety squeeze RBI bunt, putting a runner at third with only one out. However, MACU starting pitcher limited it to only one run after inducing a popout to short and a strikeout to end the frame.
• The Eagles put across an insurance run in their half of the third when Kylee Coy reached on a one-out double and then Haliey Kuhlman dropped a two-out single down the left field line to set the score to 2-0.
• The Evangels struggled to get runners on and in scoring position against SCU starting pitcher Lainey King until the fourth inning when the MACU bats came alive in a big way. Heidi Noisey opened the frame with a double to the right-center field gap before Serena Rodriguez also ripped an RBI triple to the very same gap to cut it to a one-run game. Two batters later, Jorjanna King tied the game up at 2-2 as her grounder to short allowed the speedy Rodriguez to score easily.
• SCU once again threatened in the top of the fifth when Raynie Tom and Keele each reached on singles to start it off, but Reynosa managed to get a fielder's choice out at third and a pop out to third in foul territory before Keele and Coy each nabbed a base to put runners in scoring position with two outs. Reynosa ended the threat by striking out Kuhlman to keep it a tie game at 2-2.
• The Evangels took advantage of a massive SCU miscue in the bottom half of the fifth when Mia Macias reached second on a throwing error by Keele at short to start it off before Kiley Flores dropped a double into left-center, putting both her and Macias in scoring position. Saina Willis and Kayten Herman drove both runners in with deep flyballs to right and left-center field for sacrifice flies, making it a 4-2 MACU advantage.
• The Eagles cut the deficit in-half in their half of the sixth when Kelsie McCollom hit a deep double to left-center field and was advanced to third on a sac bunt with Taylor Martinez making a sensational play to throw out the runner at first. While Macias made a sensational throw home on Alexis Underwood's sacrifice flyball to right field, the speedy pinch-runner Kamry Snapp was just barely able to beat the throw home to make it a 4-3 contest.
• Unfortunately, the Evangels were unable to keep the Eagles from coming back in the seventh as three of the first four SCU batters reached on base knocks with Kelsie McCollum hitting the go-ahead two-RBI single up the middle to give the Eagles the 5-4 edge.
• The Evangels managed to get the go-ahead run to the plate in their half of the seventh with Willis getting on off a sharp two-out infield single to short, but unfortunately a pop-out to the infield allowed the Eagles to seal the 5-4 result.

GAME NOTES

• Southwestern Christian scored its five runs on 13 hits and committed one error while the Evangels plated their four runs on seven hits.
• Unlike game one where seven Evangels finished with multiple hits, Kiley Flores was the lone Evangel to notch a pair of knocks in game two, slashing 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
• Four different players notched RBIs with Saina Willis going 1-for-1 and Serena Rodriguez batting 1-for-3 with a triple. Jorjanna King and Kayten Herman each notched an RBI each as well by batting 1-for-3 and 1-for-4 respectively.
• Heidi Noisey had one of MACU's three extra-base hits, swatting 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
• Gia Reynosa went the distance for MACU in the circle, as she finished the contest by allowing five earned runs on 13 hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will close out the four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday with the first contest slated for 2 p.m. at Allen Field.