CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The historic inaugural season of softball at McMurry University came to a close on Saturday with a 7-6 road loss to the University of Ozarks, in nine innings, at Hurrie Softball Field. The War Hawks (10-30, 6-24 ASC) also began their first-ever season with a tough extra-inning loss back on February 2, sending notice that the McM team was one that would battle to the end.
And Saturday's season finale certainly proved that to be true, as head coach
David McNally's team battled back to force extra innings.
Early on, however, it was the opportunistic War Hawks who grabbed the early lead. In their first at-bats, a two-out rally was ignited by a
Rachel Ripley double to give the Maroon and White a 1-0 lead. UO matched McM with a run of their own in the bottom of the first.
In the second, another two-out outburst produced four runs for the War Hawks. Taking advantage of an error by the Eagles on what should have been the third out of the frame, McMurry's
Nina Hernandez followed with a triple, Ripley a double and
Kayla Otis a two-run homer (her fifth of the season). When the dust had settled, the War Hawks led, 5-1.
In the bottom of the third, Ozarks knotted the game at 5-5. Then, in the fourth, UO took a 6-5 lead to switch the pressure back to McM.
In the top of the fifth, the War Hawks climbed back in it after
Avery McDaniel slapped a leadoff double to center. Two batters later,
Lexi De La Cruz single to right-center to drive home McDaniel, making it 6-6.
While McM was unable to add any more runs, it wasn't for lack of opportunity. After tying the game, the War Hawks put runners in scoring position in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings. In the bottom of the ninth, UO opened with a single and double, back-to-back, for the walk-off win.
Kamwren Jackson (4-16) absorbed the loss for the War Hawks. Jackson struck out one and walked two.
Ripley closed out the season with another big game, going 4-for-5 for her 14th multi-hit game of the year. She also scored a pair of runs. She raised her final batting average to .395, with 15 doubles, three triples, six homers and 38 RBI, to go along with her .710 slugging percentage and .437 on-base average.
Otis was 2-for-4 and had a walk. McDaniel went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Otis finished 2018 with 20 RBI.
