On Sunday, Feb. 23, the number two NAIA-ranked USAO softball team (6-2, 0-0 SAC) split a doubleheader on the road against two other top five NAIA ranked opponents on day two of the NAIA Softball Invitational in Shawnee, Okla.
Game one:
USAO started the day facing the number three NAIA-ranked University of the Cumberlands (UC) Patriots (5-2, 0-0 MSC) from Williamsburg, Kent.
The first inning saw the Drovers gain an early lead while only allowing a walk from the Patriots lineup. Senior outfielder Sierra Selfridge tapped a double to center field to bring sophomore catcher Leighanne Eaton and junior shortstop Malea McMurtrey across home plate and put the first two runs on the board for USAO. Senior first baseman Shaylann Grace followed with another double, giving Selfridge her run and the Drovers a 3-0 lead over UC to close out the inning.
The Drovers continued to dominate the Patriots in the second inning when senior pitcher Sophie Williams struck out two batters in the UC lineup and left two baserunners stranded without touching home plate. After the UC third baseman committed an error, sophomore centerfielder Jordan Ramsay almost scored but the catcher caught the ball, leaving one out left. The clutch gene turned on when Eaton drove in a double run for sophomore right fielder Kinzie Williams and McMurtrey. Following this was another single to right field from Selfridge, which added another run for Eaton and a 6-0 lead for USAO.
Baserunning slowed down in the third and fourth innings where both defenses canceled each other out.
The fifth inning saw some more offensive action when the Patriots started showing signs of life. UC second baseman Carly Oliver scored a homerun, giving the Patriots a double on the board. After lining out and grounding out on the bottom, the Drovers fought back with Ramsay doubling to the left-center for another double RBI. One last single from K. Williams and a walk from Selfridge added double digits to the tally, ending the game early after five innings with a 10-2 run-rule victory for USAO.
Game two:
The Drovers concluded the invitational by facing the number four NAIA-ranked Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) Owls (7-1, 0-0 CCC) from Klamath Falls, Ore.
Game number two started with both teams having savvy defense and denying any runs in the first inning. Selfridge was struck out on the top while both teams forced one batter to walk first, leaving the opposing baserunner scoreless to close out the inning.
The Owls took control in the next inning, as OIT pitcher Kacie Schmidt struck out another USAO batter while the fielders left the Drovers scoreless again. The bottom of the second saw McMurtrey committing an error, followed by three OIT players crossing home plate and adding runs on the board. S. Williams stepped onto the mound to relieve sophomore pitcher Jayden Anderson, then two more fielding plays ended the second inning with USAO trailing OIT 3-0.
Two ground outs and a flyout quickly ended USAO’s third turn at bat without action, as the Owls’ fielding plays once again denied every baserunning opportunity. The OIT offense came back when a double to the left field gave another run to the Owls, now leading 4-0. Preventing the Drovers from slipping away further, S. Williams recorded her first strikeout to close out the third.
The fourth inning saw an attempt to get the Drovers onto the scoreboard as Grace hit a triple to center field. However, a third ground out denied her a chance to score for the Drovers. S. Williams struck another batter out, followed by a line out and a fly out to prevent further runs from the Owls.
Neither team saw a player touch home for the rest of the game. The Drovers were forced to focus on defensive power, including another strikeout from S. Williams to close out the fifth. The bats went back to the Drovers who loaded the bases with two hits and a walk, but OIT managed to fend them off home plate. After two USAO batters grounded out and Ramsay struck out in the seventh inning, the Drovers lost to OIT 4-0 and concluded the trip with back-to-back split doubleheaders.
The pitching staff of S. Williams and Anderson combined for a total of six strikeouts, eleven hits, and five walks. S. Williams struck out the most batters at six, allowed eight hits, and walked four batters. Anderson allowed three hits and walked one better. Anderson had the highest strike percentage with 62.5% followed by S. Williams with 57.9%. S. Williams pitched the most innings on the mound at 9.2, while Anderson pitched 1.1 innings.
K. Williams, Selfridge, and Eaton led the batting lineup with three hits each. Eaton had the highest batting average on the plate, going three for five while scoring two runs. McMurtrey scored the most runs with three. In total, the Drovers earned ten runs across both games.
USAO will return to Bill Smith Ballpark and play the doubleheader home opener against Northwestern College (NWC) Monday, Feb. 24. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., then the day will wrap up with game two at 3 p.m.
Jordan Prewitt is a fifth-year English major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
