CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The McMurry University softball team opened its final series of its inaugural season with a doubleheader loss to the University of the Ozarks. The War Hawks (10-29, 6-23 ASC) lost to the Eagles (9-21, 9-17 ASC) by scores of 10-1 (five innings) and 6-3 at Hurie Softball Field.
 
In the first game, the War Hawks were down 3-0 after the first inning and then gave up seven in the fifth inning to stop the game by the run rule. The War Hawks scored their lone run in the top of the fifth after Adrienne Nairn, Lexi De La Crux and Sarah Nagy with back-to-back-to-back singles, with Nagy credited with the RBI.
 
Kamwren Jackson (4-15) pitched the 4.1 innings and took the loss in the circle. Of the 10 runs charged against Jackson, just one was earned due to three McM miscues on defense. Jackson struck out four and did not issue a walk.
 
De La Cruz was 2-for-2 in the game. As a team, McMurry had five hits compared to nine by the Eagles.
 
In game two, a leadoff homer by De La Cruz in the third inning staked McM to a precarious 1-0 cushion in the third. Meanwhile, Cheyenne West (4-11) kept UO at bay through the first four innings, allowing only two runners to get into scoring position. 
 
But things turned sour in the fifth frame for the War Hawks. The Eagles would capitalize on an error by McM that led to six runs, four unearned to go ahead, 6-1. An error by Ozarks helped McMurry to add a pair of unearned runs in the sixth for the 6-3 final score.
 
Leadoff batter Ashley McClellan was 2-for-4, accounting for half of the War Hawks' hit total. Avery McDaniel was 1-for-3 with a run, as was De La Cruz.
 
McM will close out its inaugural softball campaign with a single game versus Ozarks on Saturday at 12 p.m.