BROWNWOOD, Texas – Senior Ashley McClellan batted 7-for-8 over two games and broke a new school record with four runs in the series opener, as McMurry University Softball defeated Howard Payne University in both games of a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon in Brownwood.
 
McMurry scored what was then a season-high 11 runs in the opener to win 11-5. In the second game, the War Hawks kept the bats hot and recorded a school record 18 hits in a 12-10 extra-innings win to clinch the series and set a new season high for scoring.
 
Game 1: McMurry 11, Howard Payne 5
 
Behind Ashley McClellan's 4-for-4, four run day at the top of the lineup, McMurry asserted its offensive firepower early in an 11-5 win to open the series.
 
McMurry scored all but one of its runs in the first five innings, giving senior starting pitcher Bekah Chance a large lead to work with. Chance earned the win and improved to a 4-0 record, while sophomore Kinleigh Stotts continued her dominance in the circle with 3.0 scoreless, no-hit innings for the save.
 
For the season, Stotts owns a 1.80 ERA through 35.0 innings and has won American Southwest Conference West Pitcher of the Week in each of the last two weeks.
 
The McMurry offense wasted no time going to work, as Cayleigh England drove home McClellan following an infield single to open the game. Senior Emily Michki added another run in the frame with a sac fly, then junior Camille Scott brought home a run the same way in the second.
 
McMurry added to its lead with a Kelsey Ahart double, bringing home Michki to make it 4-0 in the third. HPU cut the lead to one run in the third with a three-run inning, but McMurry re-doubled the lead in the fourth with a two-run homer by senior Savannah Flinn and another Michki sac fly.
 
Following two more runs by the Yellow Jackets in the fourth to make it 7-5, McMurry would cap off the night with three more runs in the fifth and one in the seventh. McClellan added one RBI to her stellar day to make it 8-5, scoring Ahart. In the same inning, Grace Duecker drew a bases loaded walk and Michki ripped an RBI single to extend the lead.
 
The final run came home on a throwing error.
 
Six War Hawks recorded hits, led by McClellan's four-single day. Ahart and Scott each had a double, while Flinn added a two-run bomb. Michki led the team with three RBI.
 
Pitchers of record:
W – Bekah Chance (4-0)
L – Tia Campos (6-5)
S – Kinleigh Stotts (2)
 
Game 2: McMurry 12, Howard Payne 10 (11 innings)
 
The War Hawks locked into a rare-high scoring affair in the second game, taking a 9-1 lead in the sixth inning. HPU rallied back in an effort to even the series, scoring five runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to force extras.
 
Things went scoreless until the 11th inning, where Emily Michki knocked a two-run homer to give her team a 12-10 lead. Stotts entered for the second straight game and closed it out in the bottom half to earn her second straight save.
 
Sophomore Madison Morgan earned her first career win after 4.1 innings of relief, holding off HPU in extra innings.
 
The War Hawk offense was clicking on all cylinders as it continued to pile on hits in round two against the Yellow Jackets.

In the top of the first inning, Flinn would muscle her second homer of the day across the fence to tally the first run for the War Hawks.

In the top of the third, Flinn would continue her streak, sending a shot to left center for an RBI double to score McClellan. A single to left field by Michki would bring Flinn in to give the War Hawks a 3-0 lead before heading into the bottom of the third.

The Yellow Jackets would finally break through with an RBI single up the middle by Kiley Persons to score Deandra Longoria in the bottom of the third.

A single up the middle by England would get things going for the War Hawks in the top of the forth. With only one out, McMurry strung together solid at-bat appearances to bring in three more runs on three additional hits, bumping McMurry to a 6-1 lead after four innings of play.

The War Hawks would maintain the 6-1 lead until the top of the sixth, when things would get a little interesting offensively.

With two on base, Maisa Ryerson would send one out the park for the three RBI homer to give McMurry a seemingly comfortable eight run lead.

However, the Yellow Jackets had more fight left in the tank as they would post five runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, cutting the McMurry lead to three.

In what could have been the final inning of the day, the War Hawks would tack on a run at the top of the seventh, scoring Duecker on a double to left center by Mickhayla Nunez.

Facing an uphill battle, the Yellow Jackets caught fire in the box, grinding four runs on six hits to force the game into extra innings.

Three scoreless innings would go by before the War Hawks would find the light at the end of the tunnel.

With Abila placed on second, Michki would go yard for the two RBI homer to push McMurry to a two-run lead. The War Hawk defense was able to hold off the Yellow Jackets in the bottom of the 11th to seal the win and the double header sweep for McMurry.

Flinn, Ryerson and Michki all racked up three RBIs apiece on homers in the contest.
 
Pitchers of record:
W – Madison Morgan (1-1)
L – Bree Cason (4-2)
 
On Deck
The War Hawks seek out their first conference sweep of the season tomorrow at noon.