ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist softball team (1-1, 0-0 GAC) kicked off their 2022 season at the Hawkins-McGhee Invitational, finishing the inaugural day with a 7-6 win over Emporia State (1-1, 0-0 MIAA) and a 1-0 loss against Cameron University (2-0, 0-0 LSC).
OBU opened play against Cameron, where junior pitcher Kayleigh Jones turned in a career day. Jones struck out a career-high 12 batters, breaking her previous record of 11 that she charted twice in 2021. Jones would face 28 batters in her 7.0 innings of work.
Up until the fifth, the two squads were gridlocked at zero until the Aggies broke the seal with a solo shot over left center at the top of the inning.
Afterwards, the Bison shut CU out but couldn't post a run as they fell in the first game of the day.
Emily Richardson, Mia Moddelmog, and Emily Smith registered the only hits for the Bison in the game.
In game two, the Oklahoma Baptist offense made its appearance. Senior Sheyanne Sandoval popped the contest off with a solo homerun over the right-field wall to put the Bison up 1-0.
Emporia State answered with two runs at the bottom of the inning to build a 2-1 lead. The Hornets then added two more in the second to put OBU in an early 4-1 hole.
At the top of the fourth, junior Mia Moddelmog breathed life into the Bison dugout as she homered to draw the tally 4-2.
ESU tacked on two more to go up 6-2 after the fifth, and then things got interesting.
At the top of the seventh, Emily Smith started the Bison comeback, reaching base on an error. Sammie Green was then walked, sending Smith to second.
Adi Reese waltzed to the plate to single up the middle and send Smith across home plate.
With Greene on third and Reese on second after another Hornet error, Sandoval stepped up. The senior singled up middle to empty the bases and cut the OBU deficit to one.
Things continued to go the Bison's way as the third ESU error of the inning granted Sandoval and Gwyn Miller across the plate for the 7-6 lead.
After 6.0 innings of resilient work, including nine strikeouts, Aspen Younce was relieved by Kayleigh Jones in the circle at the bottom of the seventh.
Jones went straight to work. She struck out two and allowed her defense to complete the last out, completing the dynamic five-run comeback in Arkadelphia.
Sandoval was 2-for-3 with three RBI's while Moddelmog went 1-for-4, including her home run. Adi Reese earned the last RBI for OBU, while Shelby Warden and Sammie Greene registered a hit apiece.
Younce (W, 1-0) was credited with the win, allowing six runs on nine hits while Jones took the save.
Oklahoma Baptist will wrap up its time at the tournament tomorrow with dates with Southwest Baptist at 1 p.m. and Northeastern State at 3 p.m.
