Ouachita Baptist Softball Unable to Top East Central in Saturday Doubleheader

Courtesy Ouachita Baptist University Athletics Department

ADA, Okla.- Saturday’s pair of games against East Central were just as difficult as Friday’s for the Ouachita Lady Tiger softball team, as they fell in both of them by scores of 7-0 and 9-4.

In their first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, East Central (22-6, 8-2 GAC) added run after run, including a run in the second inning, two runs in the third and another two runs in the fifth, giving themselves a 5-0 lead after five innings.

East Central added another pair of runs in the sixth, coming off of a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored a runner from third base and an RBI triple. As the sixth inning concluded, Ouachita (9-23, 3-13 GAC) found themselves in a 7-0 hole.

In the top of the seventh, Michaela Hopkins led off the inning with a walk, but Brianne Baley flied into a double play, clearing the bases. Olivia Guin then singled to right center, but the game ended on a groundout to second base and a 7-0 win for ECU. 

Abbi Frakes threw six innings and recorded five strikeouts but gave up seven runs in the process. Ali Manship recorded the win for ECU, throwing seven innings and recording three strikeouts while posting a shutout.

East Central opened up the scoring early in the second game of the day as well, plating two runners in the first inning of play. 

Ouachita scored a run in the third, coming on a home run from Parrish Reed, but East Central answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and made their lead 5-1. 

Ouachita wasn’t going to be counted out though, as they rallied for three runs in the fifth inning, two of which came due to errors and the other coming off of an RBI single from Nici Starkey that scored Kailey Madden. The rally cut the score to 5-4. 

East Central again answered in the bottom of the fifth though, stringing together some hits and recording another four runs and making the score 9-4.

Shelby McWhorter took the loss for Ouachita in the second game after throwing 2.2 innings and giving up two earned runs while recording three strikeouts. Lacey Paulk got the win, going seven innings and recording three strikeouts while giving up four runs.

Ouachita returns to action on March 23, when they travel to Monticello to take on the Cotton Blossoms of the University of Arkansas-Monticello. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. 

-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director