SHAWNEE, Okla.— The Montreat softball team played a doubleheader in the Sooner State on Saturday. Game one featured the Avila University Eagles, while game two was against the No. 18-ranked Benedictine College Ravens. The Cavs lost both games, suffering 8-3 and 1-0 defeats, respectively, to their flying opponents.
The opening game against Avila stayed tight for the opening frames. In the top of the second with two outs, the Eagles scored a pair of runs from a single. The Cavs answered in the bottom half, scoring two of their own the same way.
Dayton Kell drove a single to center field, allowing
Jasmine Rachal and
Makayla Reid to dash home. The runs knotted the squads going into the third frame.
Avila found more success in the fourth inning when another pair of runs trotted around the diamond after a two-run homer to right field. Montreat provided a small rally, scoring just one run in the bottom of the fifth.
Elizabeth Gergen slapped a single through the left side, granting
Amayia Hernandez passage to score. With two runners on and two away, the Cavs popped out to end the inning.
In the next frame, the Eagles ushered in four runs on one swing thanks to a grand slam that edged Avila too far in front for the Cavs to come back. Montreat had just two baserunners in the final two innings in its eventual 8-3 loss.
Carter Thornton hurled five whole innings, giving up seven hits, four runs and four walks. Thornton struck out two Eagles in her shift. Three Montreat relievers were needed to finish the battle. Altogether, they surrendered five hits and four runs. They struck out just one batter and walked one as well.
Game two against the ranked Ravens was a very different ball game. The Ravens scored one run in the bottom of the first from a sacrifice fly, and that proved to be the only scoring in the contest. The Cavs were held scoreless for just the second time this year.
In the circle for Montreat,
Rebecca Carson went the entire way, throwing six complete innings. Carson tallied two strikeouts while allowing four hits in the affair.
Offensively for the Cavs, they registered 10 hits on the day, three in the final game. Rachal totaled four hits, leading the Cavaliers. Besides Rachal, no other Montreat played recorded more than one hit. Defensively, Montreat did not commit any errors across both games.
The Cavs will conclude their trip to Oklahoma with a single game on Sunday against the (RV) Mid-America Christian University Evangels. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
