JACKSON, Miss. – McMurry University Softball earned a split Friday afternoon at Belhaven University, taking game two 8-0 after dropping the first game of the doubleheader, 8-4.
The teams will conclude the three-game set Saturday at 11 a.m.
Belhaven 8, McMurry 4
The Blazers (11-17, 6-11 ASC) scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 3-1 deficit and hold on for the 8-4 win.
The War Hawks (10-18, 5-12 ASC) scored first in the top of the fourth when designated player Kasey Woolard drove in first baseman Rachel Ripley with a sacrifice fly. Belhaven would tie it up in the bottom half.
In the sixth, McMurry regained the lead when Ripley scored on a wild pitch and shortstop Mikayla Krause drove in Woolard with a groundout.
However, the Blazers answered with seven runs to take an 8-3 lead. McMurry got one run back in the seventh on a Ripley RBI single, the War Hawks stranded two runners on base to end the game.
Hope Schoeneman took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, over 5.2 innings. She struck out three while giving up 10 hits.
McMurry 8, Belhaven 0 (6 inn.)
Right-hander Emily Levario threw a complete game shutout in game two as McMurry snapped a five game losing streak. The War Hawks used a six-run sixth inning to break open the game for the run rule victory.
Levario allowed just three hits over six innings in the circle, while striking out a pair. It is Levario's first career win in a McMurry uniform.
The War Hawks got on the board in the third inning on a single by right fielder Summer Quiroga to drive in Allison Gutierrez, who led off the inning with a double. Quiroga would come around to score on an RBI groundout by first baseman Rachel Ripley.
Leading 2-0 heading into the sixth, McMurry broke the game open. Designated player Kasey Woolard led off with a double, with pinch runner Sydney King coming around to score on a wild pitch. Adrienne Nairn then drove in Mikayla Krause with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
With the bases still loaded, Quiroga drove in two more with a single, with left fielder Kollin Morris capping the inning with another two-run single.
Levario then closed the game in the sixth as the War Hawks won by the run rule.
Quiroga and Morris each finished with two hits, with Quiroga driving in three and Morris two.
