ABILENE, TX – The McMurry War Hawks returned to Edwards Field on Friday for a conference doubleheader against LeTourneau, splitting the day's action. McMurry battled to a gritty 3-2 victory in the opener behind strong relief pitching and timely hitting, but LeTourneau's offense surged in the second game to hand the War Hawks a 12-1 loss.

Game 1: McMurry 3, LeTourneau 2
The War Hawks wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Morgan Faubion sparked the offense with a leadoff single and quickly stole second. After Kaelyn Rodriguez walked and Reaghan Staehely was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Sophia Steele delivered a clutch double to left field, driving in Faubion. Marissa Cardenas followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Staehely and giving McMurry an early 2-0 advantage.

LeTourneau responded in the top of the third inning, capitalizing on a few defensive miscues and timely singles to plate two runs and knot the score at 2-2. However, the McMurry lineup had an immediate answer in the home half of the frame. Reaghan Staehely reached on a fielder's choice, and Sophia Steele singled to put runners in scoring position. Marissa Cardenas stepped up again, ripping a single to score Staehely and reclaim the lead at 3-2.

The late innings were dominated by pitcher Nyema Muhammad. Entering in relief of starter Rexie Sanders in the fourth, Muhammad shut down the LeTourneau bats. She allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings, striking out three. The defense held firm behind her, sealing the one-run victory for the War Hawks.

Game 2: LeTourneau 12, McMurry 1
In the nightcap, the bats were quieter for McMurry as LeTourneau's offense found its rhythm. After two scoreless innings, LeTourneau took a 1-0 lead in the third and broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. McMurry starter Sophia Garza battled through four innings, but the visitors found gaps in the defense to build a 5-0 lead.

McMurry looked to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch hitter Gianna Ricarte reached on an error that allowed Alyssa Hernandez to cross the plate, cutting the deficit to 5-1. Reaghan Staehely and Sophia Steele continued their strong days with hits in the inning, but the rally was cut short before the War Hawks could add more damage.

LeTourneau put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth, exploding for seven runs on a barrage of hits to extend their lead to 12-1. Thalia Reyes came on in relief but couldn't stem the tide against the swinging LeTourneau lineup. Despite putting runners on in the final frame, McMurry couldn't close the gap, ending the day with a split.

Top  Performers

Reaghan Staehely: Staehely was a force at the plate all day, going a combined 5-for-6 across the doubleheader. In game one, she scored two runs and was hit by a pitch, while in game two she went 3-for-4 with a double.

Sophia Steele: Steele provided consistent offense and power, finishing the day 4-for-5. She ripped an RBI double in game one and added another double in a 2-for-3 performance in game two.

Nyema Muhammad: Muhammad was lights out in relief during game one to earn the win. She tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three batters to silence the LeTourneau offense.

Marissa Cardenas: Cardenas came through in clutch moments during the game one victory, driving in two of the team's three runs on a sacrifice fly and a go-ahead RBI single.

On Deck:
Softball will wrap up its series against LeTourneau on Saturday, February 21, at noon.