COLUMBUS, Ga. – Playing in one of the top NCAA Division III Softball Tournaments, no. 1 East Texas Baptist University split their games on the first day. ETBU won their first game, 11-1, over Alma University but fell short of a comeback win in game two against no. 7 Case Western Reserve, 6-5. ETBU in now 9-1.
ETBU 11, Alma 1
Run-ruling Alma, ETBU hit three home runs with 10 hits as six were for extra bases. ETBU scored in four of the five innings for 11 runs scoring three runs in the first, third, and fifth innings.
Tristen Maddox was 3-of-4 with two home runs and double with five RBI.
Haylie Stum added a home run for two RBI and
Makayla Menchue had a home run going 3-of-3 with two RBI.
Izabella Morales was 2-of-3 with two RBI, also.
McKenzie Jones received the win going five innings with five strikeouts, no earned runs, and three hits.
Maddox had a solo home run in the first inning followed by Stum's two-run shot to make it 3-0. Alma's run came in the first inning on a sac fly to make it 3-1. Menchue doubled in a run in the second inning followed by a Morales single to make it 5-1. Maddox's two-run home run in the third put the score at 7-1 and Morales picked up her second RBI with a single making it 8-1. In the fifth inning, Menchue had a solo home run and Maddox two-run home run ended the game, 11-1.
No. 7 CWR 6, No. 1 ETBU 5
Case Western Reserve scored four runs in the final two innings for the 6-5 upset win over ETBU. Stum went 3-of-4 with one RBI. Maddox followed with two hits and one RBI.
Mallory Pyle had two RBI on one hit and
Tauryn Cummings added a RBI on a hit.
Hannah Benavides took the loss going 4.2 innings giving up five earned runs on six hits with one strikeout.
Avery Holland finished the final 2.1 innings with one strikeout, two hits, and one run.
CWR took a 2-0 lead after three innings but Stum cut the lead to one with a single to center field to score
Mary Frances Ellis. In the fourth, Pyle doubled to left field for two RBI to take the lead, 3-2. Maddox came through with a single to left field as Pyle came in as the fourth run and a two-run lead, 4-2. CWR had a double and a two-run home run in the fifth to retake the lead, 5-4. CWR then homered in the seventh inning for a 6-4 lead. Cummings cut the lead to one, 6-5, in the bottom of the seventh but ETBU's rally came up short.
ETBU will face no. 6 Tufts at 2:00 p.m. and Huntingdon College at 4:30 p.m.
