CLAREMONT, CA - It was a day of high drama and defensive challenges for our McMurry War Hawks as they traveled to the West Coast to face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on February 6th. In a doubleheader characterized by strong pitching performances and costly errors, the War Hawks dropped a narrow 2-0 decision before battling to a 4-4 draw in the nightcap.
Game One: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2, McMurry 0
The opening game proved to be a classic pitcher's duel, with runs at a premium. CMS took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning after a throwing error put a runner in scoring position, eventually allowing an unearned run to score on an RBI single.
McMurry's offense struggled to find a rhythm against Athena pitching, managing only four hits in the contest.
Sophia Steele provided a spark with two singles, and
Brooklyn Nehring and
Angelina Kulbeth each added a base hit, but the War Hawks were unable to push a run across. CMS added an insurance run in the fifth inning following another error and an RBI triple, securing the 2-0 final. Despite the loss, McMurry's pitching was a bright spot, as both runs allowed were unearned.
Game Two: McMurry 4, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4
In the nightcap, the Athenas struck first in the bottom of the first inning, using an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. McMurry responded in the top of the second when
Nyema Muhammad laced an RBI single to left field, scoring
Elaina Herrera to knot the game at 1-1. However, CMS capitalized on a War Hawk error and a passed ball in the bottom half of the frame to reclaim a 3-1 advantage.
The War Hawks began to chip away in the third inning after
Taylor McCurdy reached on an error and was driven home by a
Morgan Faubion RBI single to center, cutting the deficit to 3-2. In the top of the fifth, McMurry's persistence paid off.
Kaelyn Rodriguez reached on a crucial fielding error that allowed both
Elizabeth Yaws and
Angelina Kulbeth to cross the plate, giving the War Hawks their first lead of the day at 4-3. The lead held until the bottom of the sixth, when another defensive miscue allowed an unearned run to score for the Athenas, resulting in a 4-4 tie as the contest ended due to time or light constraints.
Top McMurry Performers
Nyema Muhammad: Finished the doubleheader with a team-high three hits and an RBI, including a 2-for-3 performance in the opening game.
Morgan Faubion: Collected two hits, an RBI, and was a constant threat on the bases with two stolen bases in game one.
Emmalee Gebhart: Anchored the pitching staff in game one, allowing just one earned run over 6.0 innings while navigating several defensive miscues.
Rexie Sanders: Was the tough-luck loser in game two despite not allowing an earned run in a complete-game 6.0-inning effort.
On Deck
Softball will open conference play at home against Texas Lutheran with a doubleheader on Friday, February 13th, starting at 3:00 p.m.
