PINEVILLE, La. – Coming off a tremendous 13-2 season last year, the McMurry University softball team made its long awaited return to the diamond on Friday with a doubleheader split at Louisiana College in American Southwest Conference action.
The War Hawks (1-1, 1-1) took the season opener with a thrilling 7-4 win in extra-innings, rallying back in the ninth with three late runs. Louisiana College (4-7, 1-1) returned the favor in the second game, evening the series with a 12-2 win.
Game 1: McMurry 7, Louisiana College 4 (9 innings)
The War Hawks had all of its offense in two innings, but did enough in the fourth and ninth frames to earn a 7-4 win in its season-opener. With the victory, McMurry had won 14 of its last 16 games dating back to last season.
All nine innings were pitched by junior ace Camille Scott, who allowed four runs, two unearned, on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Offensively, Scott helped her own cause with two runs scored and an RBI single.
Things started slow for McMurry, as a first inning double-play groundout started an early drought. Meanwhile, Louisiana College took a 3-0 lead with a pair of RBI singles and another run via a throwing error.
The fourth inning is where McMurry came alive offensively, as a two-out fielding error at second base allowed Kasey Woolard to reach and keep the inning alive. Emily Michki then ripped a single to right center field to put runners on the corners. Coming into pinch run for Michki at first was freshman Jesse Stephenson, who prompted a double steal and successfully made it into second base. Woolard would cross home on the throw, putting her team on the board.
The two-out rally continued when freshman Mercedes Camacho reached on a hit-by-pitch, allowing Scott to help her own cause with an RBI single through the middle. Senior Maisa Ryerson entered to pinch hit, tying the game at 3-3 with an RBI single to bring home Camacho.
Following a pitching change in the fourth, fellow senior Elizabeth Battle came to the plate and singled through the right side for the go-ahead score. All runs in the inning were unearned, but the War Hawks owned a 4-3 advantage by the inning's end.
Louisiana College evened it back up in the bottom half, taking advantage of two fielding errors by McMurry. This would keep things scoreless, as Scott retired 10 straight batters to send it to extras.
After a scoreless eighth that saw Scott retired three more batters in a row, McMurry went to work in the ninth and loaded the bases with two outs. Senior Mikayla Krause came through from there, moving runners from station to station with an RBI single. Woolard singled home two more right behind her to extend the lead.
Scott closed it out in the bottom of the ninth, getting the first out on a tag out at second. Louisiana College's Shaye Tredinich hit a single to left and tried stretching it to two, but was thrown out by Camacho from left field. Scott forced a groundout and flyout to secure the win.
Pitchers of record:
W – Camille Scott (1-0)
L – Bailey McMillian (2-3)
Game 2: Louisiana College 12, McMurry 2
An unfortunate 10 run inning put McMurry in a quick hole during the nightcap, as the team was unable to overcome the early deficit en route to a five inning defeat.
Louisiana College would add two more unanswered to extend the lead in the third, while getting strong pitching from Olivia Coaker in the circle in all five innings.
McMurry mustered some runs in the fourth inning with more two out magic, keeping the inning alive with a single by Maisa Ryerson and a hit-by-pitch reach for junior transfer Jessika Truax to load the bases. Senior Mickhayla Nunez seized the opportunity, giving the team a glimmer of hope with a two-RBI single.
Unfortunately, Nunez and Truax were stranded on the corners to kill the fourth inning rally, and the War Hawks were able to reach in the fifth.
Pitchers of record:
W – Olivia Coaker (1-0)
L – Madison Morgan (0-1)
On Deck
The series will be on the line tomorrow morning with first pitch set for 10 a.m.
