Abilene, TX - The McMurry War Hawks faced off against the #5 seed University of the Ozarks in the first round of the SCAC softball Tournament at Edwards Field. The final score was 5-0 in favor of the Ozarks.
The Ozarks scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Kendall Lynch hit an RBI single to left field, bringing Kamryn Uher home to give the Ozarks an early 1-0 lead. McMurry was unable to respond in the bottom half of the inning, with the batters going down in order.
In the second inning, the War Hawks saw their first action on the basepaths when
Marissa Cardenas singled to left field, but she was left stranded.
The Ozarks extended their lead in the third inning. Kamryn Uher scored on an RBI single by Isabella Hulsey to make it 2-0. Kendall Lynch followed up with a two-run single, scoring Hulsey and Bailee Cowell to push the deficit to 4-0. This prompted a pitching change for the War Hawks, with
Sophia Garza stepping in to relieve
Rexie Sanders.
In the bottom of the third,
Samantha Gonzalez sparked the McMurry offense with a double, but was thrown out advancing to third.
Kaelyn Rodriguez followed with a single, though McMurry could not capitalize and close the gap.
McMurry put together their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth.
Angelina Kulbeth and
Reaghan Staehely hit back-to-back singles, and a sacrifice bunt by
Sophia Steele advanced them into scoring position at second and third. However, the next two batters were retired, leaving the runners stranded.
The Ozarks added their final run in the top of the fifth inning when Emma Reynolds hit a solo home run, making it 5-0. McMurry managed to get baserunners on in the fifth via a walk from
Elaina Herrera, and in the sixth with another single from
Reaghan Staehely, but they were unable to bring anyone across the plate.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Alexis Martinez was hit by a pitch, and
Samantha Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice. However, the Ozarks secured the final outs to complete the shutout.
Top McMurry Performers
- Reaghan Staehely: Staehely was a consistent presence for the War Hawks' offense, going 2-for-3 at the plate with singles in the fourth and sixth innings.
- Sophia Garza: Coming out of the bullpen in the third inning, Garza provided much-needed stability, pitching 4.2 innings of relief. She allowed just one earned run on three hits and struck out two batters.
- Samantha Gonzalez: Gonzalez recorded the only extra-base hit for McMurry in the matchup, hitting a double in the third inning.
- Angelina Kulbeth: Kulbeth helped set up McMurry's biggest scoring threat in the fourth inning by hitting a single to center field.
On Deck
McMurry next plays an elimination game against the loser of game four between #2 St. Thomas and #3 Concordia on Sunday, May 3rd at 12:30 p.m. at Edwards Field.
