WINFIELD, Kan. – The Southwestern College softball team was back in action on Wednesday afternoon in Winfield, as they hosted the Mid-America Christian University Evangels for a doubleheader at Broadway Sports Complex. First innings were unkind to the Moundbuilders in both battles, as the squad allowed eight runs to the Evangels in the first during game one, and 14 to MACU in inning number one of the second tilt. Additionally, the Builder offense was shut down for just a single run over 10 full innings on the day, dropping the battles by final scores of 13-0 and 22-1. Both games ended after five frames.

Mid-America Christian hit for the cycle as a team in the first inning of bout number one, as an RBI single, a run-scoring double, an RBI triple and an inside-the-park grand slam gave the Evangels an 8-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.

Southwestern's offense was hapless in the opener, tallying only three hits over five innings against the MACU ace of staff. A four-run third inning from the Evangels made it a 12-0 game on a two-RBI single and a two-run double.

The visiting squad's final run would come in the top of the fourth on a single up the middle to chase home their 13^th run of the ballgame.

Overall, it was a game that was dominated by MACU, as they took the 13-0 win into the second matchup of the afternoon.

An incredibly difficult inning for the Moundbuilder pitching staff occurred in the top of inning number one in game two, as the Evangels scored eight runs on zero hits to begin the frame. One error was committed by the Builder defense, but five walks and four hit-by-pitches over the course of the inning ended up resulting in a 14-run top of the first for Mid-America Christian. The squad ended up tallying four hits in the stanza, which drove in the remaining six runs for the visitors. To make matters worse, the Builder offense loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the first, but they failed to score a single run after a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.

The Evangels would tack on three runs in the top of the second on two RBI doubles and a run-scoring single, as well as a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to make it 19-0. A run-scoring triple and an RBI single back-to-back plated the two runs for MACU. Southwestern finally got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of inning number four, as Natalie Davis singled up the middle to drive in an SC pinch runner, Raleigh Kramer. That would end the offensive attack for SC, as it was 19-1 after four.

A trio of runs scored by the MACU in the fifth inning made the score 22-1, as a run-scoring double and a two-run two-bagger sent the runs across the plate. A rather simple bottom of the fifth took place, and the Moundbuilders fell to the Evangels in game two.

Between the two tilts, the Moundbuilder batting order tallied 10 hits. Three of those came in the opener and the other seven followed in the latter matchup. In the first game. Alexus Johnson tripled and had the only extra-base hit of that battle. Taylor Mesna and Kelsey Daniel had the remaining two hits for the Builders. A total of seven hits were split between five players in the back half of the twin-billing. The only Moundbuilders to tally two hits in a single game on Wednesday were Al. Johnson and Loren Wright in game two. They each went 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of singles. Mesna nabbed another hit, as did Daniel, and Davis' single up the middle in the fourth inning provided SC their only run of the day.

Kramer was in the circle for the first bout of the day, as she went 2.1 innings and allowed 12 earned runs on seven hits. Jordan Gates came in to relieve her in the third inning and finished the remaining 2.2 innings with just one run allowed on three hits. Three pitchers combined to toss the latter battle, as Ryleigh Branstetter did not have her best stuff on Wednesday. She retired one batter, while walking three and hitting three, allowing seven runs total on no hits. Gates was the first reliever again, and she afforded the Evangels 10 hits over 2.2 innings and 10 runs in total. Only three of those tallies were of the earned variety, as an error allowed seven runs to come in with two outs following the gaffe. Al. Jonson ended the day on the slab, allowing five runs on five hits over two innings of work.

The non-conference battles ushered the Moundbuilders (1-22, 0-8 KCAC) into the month of April, as the squad's next action will come on Saturday, Apr. 1 in Bartlesville, Okla., where the (RV) Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles will play host to Southwestern. The first game of the doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.

--buildersports.com--