RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – In one of the more unorthodox series of the year, Kayleigh Jones reached 1,000 career strikeouts as Oklahoma Baptist completed its sweep of Arkansas Tech (25-20, 17-16 GAC) with three wins on Saturday to close out the regular season.
Although the series began yesterday afternoon, over five hours of lightning delays caused game one to be paused and resumed Saturday morning. The contest came to a halt with ATU facing a 0-2 count and two outs at the bottom of the seventh inning.
This morning, a final strike secured the 4-3 victory in game one before the Bison drew two more wins by scores of 4-1 and 2-1 to wrap up another 40-win season. Additionally, it was OBU's 11th consecutive victory and 19th straight GAC series triumph.
Oklahoma Baptist closes its regular season with a 40-11 overall record and a 30-3 mark in Great American Conference action. It is the best league record in program history, topping last season's 28 wins against GAC opponents.
Furthermore, the Bison suffered just five road losses in 2024, the fewest in the Division II era.
GAME ONE
Jones paced OBU to victory in the series opener, scattering one hit across 5.1 innings while striking out 11 batters. She came into Friday needing nine punchouts to reach the millennial mark and did so to become the first pitcher in school and GAC history to reach 1,000 strikeouts.
Maggie Place also stepped into the circle late, giving up three runs and five hits while striking out two batters.
Emily Adler produced a 3-for-4 outing for the second time this season and scored two runs to lead at the plate. Morgan Max registered two hits and brought in a score, while Ally Ryan's lone hit resulted in a RBI.
Ryan scored the first run of the game on an ATU fielding error in the inaugural frame before batting in Adi Reese a few innings later to put OBU up 2-0.
E. Adler crossed in the next at-bat on another Arkansas Tech miscue, good for a 3-0 cushion.
In the seventh inning, Max scored E. Adler on a single for the Bison's final score.
However, the Golden Suns made things interesting at the bottom of the frame. Five hits produced three runs before Jones stepped back into the pitching lane on Saturday to extinguish Tech's momentum.
GAME TWO
Like game one, OBU's bats go to work quickly and often. In the second inning, Max scored Ryan on a double before the Bison trickled in two runs on three hits to go ahead 3-0.
Then Reese stole home for a four-run advantage in the fifth.
The Golden Suns did plate one in the sixth, but it was to no avail as Jones struck out one before retiring the final two batters to secure her 21st win. She added seven more strikeouts to her weekend resume while allowing five hits and a run in a complete game of work.
Reese and Max charted two hits apiece, a part of OBU's eight total connections. Reese added a career-high in stolen bags (2).
GAME THREE
Offensive action was subtle in the finale, as two and a half innings passed before a run was scored. That run was put up by Arkansas Tech on a throwing error, which was good for their first lead of the series.
It wasn't until the sixth when Kennedy Clark brought in E. Adler with two outs on the board. Then, in the seventh, a Reese single put the Bison back in front before Place, and the defense shut down Tech's comeback efforts.
Place earned win No. 16 after allowing one unearned score and three hits. Additionally, she forced 13 groundouts and registered two strikeouts.
Sydney Adler turned in a pair of hits for the first time this season, while Clark and Reese accounted for the runs brought in.
NEXT UP
The Great American Conference tournament is up next for the Bison, which is set to begin next Thursday. As the top seed, OBU will play their first game on Friday, May 3, at noon in the semifinals.
