ABILENE, Texas – It was another slugfest for no. 4 East Texas Baptist University as they scored a combined 18 runs on 23 hits as they swept the American Southwest Conference double header over McMurry University, 11-0, and 7-2. ETBU is now 21-1 and 11-0 in the ASC.
Madelyn Melton went 4-of-5 in the series with a grand slam, six RBI, and four runs scored.
Courtney White also added four hits with three RBI while
Mary Frances Ellis,
Emma Bell, and
Haylie Stum added three hits. Stum also had three RBI as Bell had two and Ellis,
Ava Rodriguez, and
Shelby Navarrete all had one RBI.
Hannah Benavides collected another shutout going six innings with one strikeout and giving up just three hits. In game two,
Kassidy Cravey came in relief pitching the final 3.1 innings for her first win of the year.
Game 1
ETBU 11, McM 0
After scoring two runs to begin the game in the first, McM held ETBU scoreless for five innings until the Tigers broke open the game with a nine-run sixth inning. Benavides moved to 9-0 on the year with one strikeout. She retired the side in the third, fifth, and sixth innings.
Bell went 3-of-4 with two RBI as Stum had two hits for three RBI. Melton had one hit for two RBI as White, Rodriguez, and Navarrete had one RBI.
Stum singled in the first run of the game as Maddox came in for the 1-0 lead. Bell, who batted right after Stum, singled to right field bringing in Stum making it 2-0. McM contained ETBU's offense for four innings until the Tigers broke loose for nine runs in the sixth.
Rodriguez had a bunt single that scored
Ava Nieto for the third run of the game. Bell then scored on a bunt by Navarrete and then Melton pinch hit for a two RBI single as ETBU went up, 6-0. White followed with a RBI single and then Stum had a two RBI single as both Maddox and White came in making it, 9-0. Bell singled in
Tauryn Cummings for the 10
th run of the game and
Natalie Norwood earned a RBI on a walk for the 11
th run of the game.
Game 2
ETBU 7, McM 2
Melton's grand slam in the fifth inning broke open a 2-2 tie as ETBU went on for the five-run win, 7-2. Melton finished 3-of-4 with three RBI and three runs scored as White added three hits and two RBI. Ellis gave the team the other RBI going 3-of-4 on the day.
Melton started the game in the circle but went just 1.1 innings giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Toni Tamborello went 2.1 innings allowing just one hit and two strikeouts. Cravey then earned the win pitching the final 1.1 innings giving up just three hits, no runs, with two strikeouts.
ETBU scored in the top of the second when Ellis singled to the short stop and Melton scored. McM responded with two runs in the bottom of the second for the 2-1 lead. A White single in the fourth inning brought in Ellis to tie the game at two. In the fifth inning only one out and the bases loaded, Melton hit a shot over the left field fence for a grand slam as ETBU went up, 6-2. Then, in the seventh, White singled to center field scoring Melton for a 7-2 lead.
McM only had two hits in the final two innings as ETBU held onto the five-run lead for the win.
ETBU will play the final game of the series at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
