ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Softball finished off a three-game series against LeTourneau with a 6-2 win at Edwards Field on Saturday, securing a series sweep and extending its win streak to five games.
The War Hawks improve to 9-4 overall and 7-4 in the American Southwest Conference. LETU drops to 4-9 overall and 2-6 in conference games.
The YellowJackets struck first with a run in the opening frame and totaled 12 hits, but the War Hawks limited the damage and stranded nine YellowJacket runners en route to victory. McMurry scored six runs on just seven hits in an efficient effort.
McMurry scored all of its runs in just two innings – the second and the sixth – to lock up the win. A three-run homer by senior Camille Scott in the second inning proved to be all McMurry needed, but senior Kelsey Ahart and freshman Aliyah Tanguma added late inning insurance with RBI hits.
Tanguma – who hit a two-RBI single with the bases loaded – had her first collegiate hit Saturday. Scott's home run was her first deep fly this season.
Freshman Baylee Fulps made her first home start for the War Hawks, earning her first collegiate win in the circle. She completed 4.0 innings and was peppered with 10 hits, but stayed resilient and allowed just two to score – one earned and one unearned – with no walks and three strikeouts.
One of the key moments came in the top of the third, as a LETU doubled nearly brought home a run to make it 3-2 with two outs. Instead, McMurry promptly ended the threat with a throw in from Angelica Abila to Grace Duecker to home plate. Ahart, the catcher, applied the tag and got the out on a bang-bang play.
Later, Fulps left with a 3-2 lead and turned things over to senior Madison Morgan. With two on and nobody out, Morgan recorded three straight outs to keep her team ahead. She finished 3.0 innings and earned her first career save with just two hits, one walk and one strikeout.
In the seventh, LETU threatened with two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Once again, Morgan dug deep and recorded three straight outs to slam the door and strand the tying run at the plate.
Six players had hits, led by designated player Kasey Woolard with two. Scott added a homer, while Duecker, Tanguma, Kayla Otis and Emily Michki had a single.
McMurry will play its next six game at Edwards Field against non-conference foes, starting with a doubleheader versus Austin College on Wednesday, March 9 at 2 p.m.
