ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Softball swept their first two games of the season Friday afternoon at Red Bud Park, taking down Austin College 9-1 in five innings before holding on versus Millsaps College, 6-4 in eight innings.
The War Hawks (2-0) will continue with the second half of the Abilene Round Robin tomorrow, hosting Schreiner University at 11 a.m. before taking on Austin College once again in the finale at 1 p.m.
McMurry 9, Austin College 1 (5 inn.)
Junior pitcher Hope Schoeneman turned in a strong performance in the circle in her War Hawks debut, tossing all five innings, allowing just one run on three hits. She ahd eight strikeouts, as well.
After allowing the bases loaded in the top of the first, Schoeneman got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice. She struck out four of five batters between the first and second innings. Schoeneman also drove in the first run of the game, with an RBI double down the left field line.
The War Hawks added four more runs to their lead in the bottom of the second, when senior first baseman Rachel Ripley lined a two-run single up the middle followed by a two-run double by freshman designated player Kasey Woolard.
After the Kangaroos got a run back in the third, Ripley put the War Hawks back up by five with a long home run to left center field on the first pitch of the at bat. Later in the inning, senior outfielder Summer Quiroga and freshman Mackenzie Baron delivered RBI singles, with senior third baseman Adrienne Nairn capping the inning with a RBI groundout.
Schoeneman would set the 'Roos down in order in the fifth to seal the victory. Ripley finished 2-for-3, with a HR, three RBIs and three runs scored, while Woolard was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Eight War Hawks collected hits in the win.
McMurry 6, Millsaps 4 (8 inn.)
Playing as the visitors against the Majors, the War Hawks took advantage of the international tiebreaker rule in the top of the eighth inning. With Ripley on second base to begin the inning, Woolard singled to right center to give McMurry a 5-4 lead, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Senior catcher Nina Hernandez then doubled, and scored an insurance run by hustling around from second on an infield single by Quiroga.
Junior pitcher Cheyenne West, who came on in relief in the seventh inning, shut Millsaps down in the eighth for the win. West finished with 1.2 innings pitched with two strikeouts.
Freshman hurler Madison Morgan had a no-hitter through 5.1 innings in her first collegiate start, and exited the circle with 5.2 innings pitched, tallying three strikeouts and allowing just two runs on three hits.
McMurry got on the board in the first inning without a hit, scoring runs on a walk and a hit by pitch. The War Hawks had three hit-by-pitches and two walks in the innings.
The War Hawks added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Avery McDaniel to go up 3-0. Millsaps would get two back in the sixth, before Ripley provided an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double to left center.
Millsaps would load the bases in the bottom half of the inning and score two runs to tie the game before the War Hawks won it in the extra frame.
