ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Softball set multiple offensive records and had a no-hitter in the circle from junior Kinleigh Stotts in an unforgettable day, as the War Hawks swept Austin College at Edwards Field on Wednesday.
McMurry improves to an 11-4 overall record with its sixth and seventh straight wins. Austin College falls to 3-10.
Game 1: McMurry 24, Austin College 0 (5 innings)
The first game is where history was made, as McMurry fired on all cylanders in a 24-0 win.
The War Hawks – in their fifth year as a softball program – set new schools records for runs in a game (24), hits in a game (21), runs batted in for a single game (22) and triples in a game (4) while tying the single-game records for doubles (4) and stolen bases (5).
Most of McMurry's production came in the fourth inning, where more single-inning records were set. The team scored 15 runs on 11 hits while making 19 plate appearances – all new records. The War Hawks had numerous players get involved that inning and throughout the game, subbing in 10 players.
Kinleigh Stotts also made history in the circle with her no-hitter, though she nearly had a perfect game. The only baserunner to reach came in the first inning, a strikeout that hit in the dirt and resulted in a wild pitch. Outside of that, Stotts allowed no hits and walks while striking out eight. The War Hawk defense also had no errors.
Stotts is the second pitcher in school history to complete a no-hitter, joining teammate Camille Scott who had the first one back on February 18, 2020. Scotts and Stotts also have the last two no-hitters in the American Southwest Conference.
McMurry had a record 13 players record at least one hit, led by Camille Scott and Brianna Martinez with three each. The former had a double and two singles to drive in four runs, while the latter had two triples and three RBI. Martinez reached base safely in all of her plate appearances.
Emily Michki, Kasey Woolard and Kate Casey had two hit days in their starting lineup spots, with Michki hitting a triple and a double to bring home two runs while scoring three times herself.
Freshman Morgan Mehaffey, who originally entered as a pinch runner for catcher Kelsey Ahart, stayed in the game at catcher and went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles for her first collegiate hits. She also drove in a pair of runs and scored twice.
Mercedes Camacho, Sydney King and Kayla Otis all had multi-base hits in the game. Camacho had a two-RBI double, King ripped an RBI triple to score one run, then Otis cleared the bases with a three-RBI double in her lone at-bat.
Freshman Kaylee Berdoll made a pinch-hit appearance and had single and later scored, giving her back-to-back appearances with a hit. Senior Dehlila Cantu also subbed in later and had an RBI single for her first hit of the campaign. Ahart and Grace Duecker also had hits, while Duecker drove in one more with a sac fly.
McMurry scored four runs in the first and second innings, one in the third and 15 in the fourth to bring the mercy rule into effect.
Game 2: McMurry 12, Austin College 4 (6 innings)
Game two was a bit more competitive early, but McMurry tacked on eight runs over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to clinch the sweep and force another early ending.
Another record fell in this game, as sophomore Jesse Stephenson broke the school record for stolen bases in a game with five. Previously, McMurry had six players with two stolen bases and have never had more than five in a game as a team. Stephenson also ties the American Southwest Conference record for single game stolen bags.
In the circle, freshman Baylee Fulps got the start and helped McMurry achieve a 4-3 leave by the third inning. She recorded the first two outs before being relieved by senior Madison Morgan, who stranded three Kangaroo baserunners and finished the game to pick up the win. Morgan is now 2-1 on the season, allowing just one unearned run on one hit in 3.1 innings, but nothing else. Fulps had three strikeouts in her 2.2 innings of work.
The offense continued its success at the plate with 11 hits, headlined by sophomore Mercedes Camacho with her first career home run. Prior to that, senior Emily Michki had a two-run blast in the first inning.
Grace Duecker got things started in the second spot, driving home Angelica Abila for the game's first run. Michki's homer made it 3-0 early. Austin College then added two runs to make it competitive early, but Camacho's solo shot doubled the lead at 4-2.
Michki struck again with a single in the fourth, completing the single-day cycle following a triple and double in the previous game. That brought home Abila for a second time to make it 5-3 – and the War Hawks never looked back from there.
Michki and Cayleigh England had two hits each, while seven others had one hit in the nightcap. Abila led the way with three RBI, including the final two runs on a single to force the mercy rule in the sixth.
Kayla Otis ripped another multi-base hit with a double, while Stephenson, Camille Scott and Jessika Truax added singles.
As a team, McMurry had nine stolen bases with Abila, Duecker, Martinez and Camacho all stealing one each. This fell just four short of the ASC record set in 2004.
On Deck
The War Hawks continue a six-game stretch of non-conference home games as they welcome Fontbonne on Saturday, March 12 for a 12 p.m. doubleheader. McMurry is 4-0 in non-conference games so far this season.
