ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Softball opened a three-game series against nationally-ranked Belhaven University this weekend, splitting the first two games of a Friday doubleheader at Edwards Field in Abilene.
Senior catcher Kayla Otis was the hero in McMurry's series-opening victory over the No. 5 Blazers, smacking a late three-RBI double in a 3-2 win. Belhaven evened the series in the nightcap, winning 8-1.
Belhaven's loss was just the fourth overall and third in American Southwest Conference play, as they move to 21-4 and 14-3 records, respectively. Meanwhile, McMurry remains above .500 in conference play at 16-11, 10-9.
Game 1: McMurry 3, No. 5 Belhaven 2
Belhaven took momentum right away with a leadoff homer from Marlee Blackwell, but junior pitcher Jenna Lewis kept her composure and finished off a complete game victory for the War Hawks.
Trying to keep the Blazers at bay was no easy task, as the second inning started with a leadoff double. A pair of walks loaded the bases with one out, but Lewis picked up a strikeout and groundout to strand the bases full.
Facing a tough pitcher in Belhaven's Kennedy Carruth, McMurry mustered just two singles through the first four innings. Things began to turn in the fifth inning, as Angelica Abila started a fifth inning rally with a one-out single. Grace Duecker then reached on a slow chopper through the pitcher and was followed by a walk from Emily Michki.
This brought Otis to the plate with the tying run at third. On the first pitch she saw, Otis gapped a double to right center, bringing home all three runs to make it 3-1. Lewis returned in the sixth, allowing just one run on an RBI double. In the seventh, ahead 3-2, she allowed another double, but had a strikeout and two flyouts to end the game.
The final out was a game-changing play, as centerfielder Mercedes Camacho robbed Belhaven of a possible game-tying run with a diving catch in the left center gap. The home dugout rushed to the outfield to celebrate with her, as McMurry finished off its first ranked win of the season.
McMurry just had four hits, with Abila, Brianna Martinez and Cayleigh England adding one hit apiece. The offense was enough to hand Carruth her second loss in the circle, dropping to a 12-2 record.
Meanwhile, Lewis improved to 7-3 with 7.0 complete innings, allowing just two earned runs on four walks and six hits. She fanned nine, matching her third-highest single game total this season.
Game 2: No.5 Belhaven 8, McMurry 1
McMurry did all it could to avoid being run ruled in the nightcap, mounting a late rally, but we're unable to come back in an 8-1 loss.
Belhaven broke open a 2-0 game with six runs in the fifth inning, but McMurry stayed alive with an RBI single by Abila, scoring Jesse Stephenson. Kelsey Ahart added a single in the sixth, then Jessika Truax singled in the seventh for late hits, but Belhaven stopped the threat to even the series.
Camacho, Truax, Ahart, Abila and Stephenson accounted for McMurry's five hits.
Camille Scott was McMurry's most-effective pitcher, tossing 2.0 shutout innings in the final frames.
On Deck
The series will be decided tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Edwards Field.
