SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist opened their 2022 home schedule with a split in a doubleheader against East Central on Saturday afternoon. OBU took game one 3-0 with the Tigers before falling 6-3 in the second.
The Bison won the inaugural game by shutting out ECU, led by pitcher Kayleigh Jones in the circle. Jones struck out 10 batters on the day, as the OBU defense backed her up to surrender three total hits.
Jones faced 24 batters in 7.0 innings of work en route to posting her seventh game with double-digit strikeouts this season. The win brings her record to 8-5 on the year.
OBU opened the gates in the first inning, tallying the game's first score courtesy of a Sheyanne Sandoval sacrifice fly into left field. The action scored Adi Reese, charting a 1-0 advantage for the home team.
Three scoreless innings would pass before Jocee Sparks singled up the middle to plate two in the fifth, Sammie Greene and Emily Smith.
East Central made things interesting at the top of the sixth, registering two hits early to put two on base. However, the Bison regained control, collecting two outs via pop-ups to third and shortstop before sealing the inning with a strikeout.
At the top of the final frame, OBU's defense played the same tune as they went 1-2-3 to cement the victory.
Sparks led the offense as she batted in two, while Sheyanne Sandoval collected one RBI. Sammie Greene was 2-2 at the plate, adding a scored run and a stolen base to her stat sheet.
Additionally, Smith and Reese scored a run after registering one hit apiece. Gwyn Miller also collected a stolen base.
The Bison charge died down in game two as the Tigers erupted for four runs and five hits in the first inning.
OBU settled the excitement over the next three frames until ECU went yard to draw the tally 5-0 in the fifth.
Then, Oklahoma Baptist came alive with a score at the bottom of the inning, courtesy of Emily Richardson. Gwyn Miller crossed home plate for OBU's second score in the following inning, after Reagan Ford reached on a fielder's choice.
East Central tacked on one more in the seventh before Samantha Campos doubled to right to send Avery Baxter across. Unfortunately, the deficit was too deep as a couple of more outs won the contest for ECU.
Campos went 3-4 and tallied an RBI while Emily Richardson charted two hits and batted a runner in. Ford and Greene registered a hit in three at-bats, including a score from Ford. Greene accounted for half of OBU's stolen bases (4) in the contest.
Aspen Younce takes the loss, bringing her record to 5-3 as she faced eight and allowed four runs. Shianne Eddings struck out four, allowing two runs in 5.0 innings of relief work while Aileen Avelar wrapped up the Bison's rotation in the final inning.
Oklahoma Baptist will conclude the weekend tomorrow as the teams will play one to decide the series' victor. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bison Softball Park.
