ABILENE, Texas – Junior pitchers Jenna Lewis and Kinleigh Stotts twirled a pair of gems to open a three-game series against UT Dallas, as McMurry University Softball won both games of Friday's doubleheader at Edwards Field.
McMurry's offense also contributed to the wins with two scoring innings in each game.
Both teams now own 15-9 overall records, but the War Hawks are slightly ahead in the American Southwest Conference standings at 8-6. Meanwhile, UT Dallas fell to 8-8 with the two losses.
Game 1: McMurry 6, UT Dallas 1
Jenna Lewis finished her sixth complete game of the season and added her sixth win in the process, allowing just four hits and one unearned run. She walked one but fanned five in the win.
Meanwhile, McMurry's offense scored three runs in both the third and fifth innings, pulling away to victory in the opener. Senior Emily Michki was the offensive catalyst, going 2-for-3 with two singles and three RBI.
The War Hawks got on the board in the third inning, as sophomore Grace Duecker ripped a sac fly to score Kate Casey. In the next at-bat, Michki singled in two runners, but was called out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.
UTD's Nicole Peters hit a leadoff single in the fifth inning and later came around to score unearned, moving to third on an error and scoring on a sac fly to make it 3-1. McMurry padded its lead in the sixth though, answering with back-to-back RBI singles from Michki and Cayleigh England. England brought home two runs with a smash to left-center, capping the scoring.
Casey and Angelica Abila accounted for two runs each, with Abila drawing three walks on the day. Casey walked twice and scored both times on base.
Joining Michki and England with hits was Duecker, Kayla Otis and Brianna Martinez. Martinez had the lone multi-base hit of the day – a double over a shallow-playing centerfielder.
Game 2: McMurry 8, UT Dallas 0 (6 innings)
Despite the mercy rule kicking in before seven full innings, the nightcap was competitive early. The momentum shifted with a six run sixth inning, sealing an 8-0 victory and the series for McMurry.
The early pitcher's duel forced Kinleigh Stotts to be on her A-game in the circle, as she earned her sixth win of the season with a one-hit shutout of the Comets.
Stotts allowed one fourth inning single and walked three, but those would be her only blemishes in a bounce-back performance. She completed 6.0 innings with six strikeouts – going over 100 pitches in the victory.
McMurry's offense started slow with just three hits in the first four innings, but then erupted with six runs on six hits in the fifth. Michki led the way again, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
The inning started with a double by Jessika Truax. Her pinch runner, Kayla Otis, would later score the first run of the game on an RBI single by Angelica Abila.
With the bases loaded, Michki continued her strong day with a two-RBI single to make it 3-0, scoring Abila and Mercedes Camacho. In the next at-bat, following a pitching change, senior Kasey Woolard singled in Michki and Grace Duecker to do more damage.
The final run of the frame came on an RBI double from pinch-hitter Cayleigh England, bringing home pinch runner Morgan Mehaffey.
In the sixth inning, McMurry used a two-out rally to end the game. Abila kept the inning alive with a walk, then was doubled home immediately by Duecker. Michki closed things out in the next at-bat, singling home Duecker.
Michki and Duecker had multi-hit games, while Abila, Woolard, England, Truax and Camacho were joined by Kelsey Ahart with a one-hit game.
On Deck
McMurry looks to sweep the series tomorrow at noon at Edwards Field.
