On Saturday, April 12, the number three ranked USAO softball team (33–7, 23–3 SAC) defeated the Texas Wesleyan University (TWU) Rams (18–14, 16–8 SAC) in both away games on the second day of the conference series. The Drovers split the doubleheader on Friday with a 5-0 win and a 5–3 loss, followed by winning both games on Saturday 11-2 and 4-3.
Game one:
The first inning started in favor of USAO, as junior shortstop Malea McMurtrey doubled to the left center and put the Drovers in the lead on a wild pitch. Senior pitcher Sophie Williams saw herself at the receiving end of a strikeout by her TWU counterpart. S. Williams then threw her first strikeout in the bottom half, keeping the Drovers ahead 1-0.
Neither team gave up runs in the next two innings, as both went on defense between the fielders. On the mound, S. Williams struck two more batters out.
Both teams focused on offense again in the fourth inning, which for the Drovers began when junior second baseman Jadyn Goucher swung a double to the left field, then sophomore left fielder Taylor Cronic sacrificed a fly out to give Goucher a trip home. Sophomore right fielder Kinzie Williams and McMurtrey batted in two more runs for the Drovers, rewarding junior third baseman Taygan Graham and K. Williams. In the bottom, a TWU batter hit a homerun to the left field, putting the Rams on the scoreboard with two runs. S. Williams closed the inning with her fourth strikeout, ensuring the Drovers a 4-2 lead over the Rams.
The fifth inning saw an explosion of offensive power from the Drovers, where seven different players made a complete trip around the diamond. After Cronic doubled to the left center, S. Williams and Goucher reached home side-by-side, followed by another RBI for Cronic. The cycle of baserunning continued with K. Williams, McMurtrey, senior designated Sierra Selfridge and sophomore catcher Leighanne Eaton scoring one after another, putting the Drovers run tally in the double-digits. The Rams did not have further action on the plate, where a ground out caught by McMurtrey ended the game early 11-2 on a mercy rule victory for USAO.
Game two:
The first inning did not go in favor of USAO, as no players on base scored while a TWU batter put the Rams in the lead with the first run. Junior pitcher Abi Gregory threw her first strikeout in the circle, while USAO trailed TWU 1-0.
The Drovers found scoring action in the second inning, when junior centerfielder Jaylee Willis advanced on a walk then stole second. With two outs used, a clutch double from Cronic earned J. Willis the first run for USAO and tied the Rams 1-1.
The even matchup continued into third inning as neither team was able to make a run attempt because of the precise fielding plays, leaving the score tied between both squads.
A comeback for the Drovers happened in the fourth inning when Graham went on clutch with one out left, scoring Goucher a run to give USAO the lead. Another single from K. Williams gave sophomore pinch runner Jordan Ramsay a third trip home for the Drovers, now ahead of TWU 3-1.
As USAO held on to the lead while focused on defense in the next two innings, Gregory tossed her second strikeout in the fifth inning. As three TWU baserunners loaded the bases, McMurtrey fielded a throw to Goucher that prevented a scoring opportunity from the Rams.
With the Drovers still ahead in the bottom of the seventh inning, TWU pitcher Kylie Barnes hit a two-run double that tied the game again at 3-3. S. Williams stepped back into the mound to relieve Gregory, while the prevention of further runs sent the game into the tiebreaker eighth inning.
The extra inning saw Graham take advantage of a grounded out ball, which after Goucher reached home put the Drovers back in the lead. S. Williams resumed pitching with her fifth and sixth strikeouts of the day, while Graham made a line-out catch to end the game on a 4-3 victory for USAO and concluded the series with two consecutive wins.
The pitching staff of S. Williams and Gregory combined for a total of eight strikeouts, five hits, and nine walks. S. Williams struck out the most batters at six, allowed two hits, and walked one batter. Gregory followed with two strikeouts while she allowed three hits and walked eight batters. S. Williams had the highest strike percentage at 64.7%, followed by Gregory with 54.3%. Gregory pitched the most innings in the circle at 6.2, while S. Williams pitched 6.1 innings.
McMurtrey led the batting lineup going five-for-eight at the plate, with one hit leading to two runs. Following her was Selfridge and K. Williams with four hits each. Goucher scored the most runs on the team with four, followed by McMurtrey and K. Williams with two each. As a team, the Drovers earned 15 runs across both games.
USAO will return home for a doubleheader against Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) on Wednesday, April 16. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bill Smith Ballpark, followed by game two at 6 p.m.
Jordan Prewitt is a fifth-year English major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
