Cameron Athletics
Kenton Means, Sports Information Director
EDMOND – Senior Bethany Hines took sole possession of the Cameron record for wins in career (58), as she tallied a pair of victories during the final day of the Edmond Festival on Sunday; Brenna Busby tied the program record for home runs for a career with her 45th.
Game 1 – Cameron 5, Missouri Southern State 4
In game one of the Sunday twin bill, the Aggies faced the MSSU Lions, less than 12 hours after the Aggies 15-3 win over East Central late Saturday night. The senior Hines got the start in the circle for the second straight game, looking to break a CU record that she tied with the win over ECU.
The senior got into trouble early, allowing giving up three hits and allowing two runs to score in the top of the first.
Cameron got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second. A pair of singles by Kylie French and Maci McMurtrey sandwiched a hit-by-pitch by Janessa Larman to load the bases with two outs in the frame. French then came in to score when Kaylyn Smith reached on a fielding error by the MSSU third baseman, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Aggies came right back in the bottom of the third and tied the game at two, thanks to a two-out single by Callie Busby and a RBI double down the line by freshman Mikayla Oaks.
After MSSU took back the lead in the top of the fourth, Cameron added two more to the board in the bottom of the frame as a Khmari Edwards double brought home Larman and B. Busby to give her team a 4-3 advantage.
In the bottom of the sixth, B. Busby clobbered her first home run of the season and her 45th for her career, which tied Breezy McComas for the Cameron program record. Her homer gave CU a 5-3 lead needing just three outs to secure the win.
CU head coach turned to senior Turner Whorton to close things out in in the seventh. After getting two quick outs, She ran into trouble, giving up a triple and a double to cut the Aggies’ lead to one. She bounced back with a punchout to record her second save of the year and secure the win for her fellow hurler Hines.
B. Busby and Oaks led Cameron with two hits each, with B. Busby scoring a pair of runs and Edwards driving in two on her fourth inning double.
In her second win of 2020, Hines gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out a pair. Whorton struck out two while giving up one run on two hits in her one inning of work.
Game 2 – Cameron 7, Pittsburg State 5
In game two of the day, Cameron faced Pittsburg State, who they recorded their first win of the season against just a week ago. CU secured their second win over the Gorillas, but it took them nine innings to do it this time around.
Whorton was handed the ball to start against PSU, looking for her second win over the opponent from Pittsburg, Kan. The senior fell behind early, giving up a pair of runs on a hit and three walks in the bottom of the first.
The Aggies responded in the next half inning, getting three singles, including a two-out RBI hit by senior Kaylyn Smith to cut PSU’s lead to 2-1.
An inning later, CU grabbed the lead from the Gorillas scoring a pair of runs on two hits. Edwards doubled to lead off the inning, which was followed by a C. Busby double to tie the game at two. Two batters later, Oaks brought home C. Busby from third to give the Aggies a 3-2 lead.
Pittsburg State answered with a run in third to tie the score, but Cameron came right back in the top of the fourth, as B. Busby drove in Smith to give her team a 4-3 advantage. They added an insurance run in the seventh with B. Busby tripling with one out in the frame and then coming in to score on an Edwards single.
Hines came in to relieve Whorton in the bottom of the fifth and had retired four straight Gorillas, needing just three outs in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win. A leadoff single set the table for PSU and after getting two outs, Hines hit two batters to load the bases and then gave up a two RBI single that tied the game at five and forced extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, C. Busby provided the heroics in the top of the ninth driving in Smith and her sister on a two-out double to left center to give Cameron a 7-5 lead. Hines allowed two runners in the bottom of the ninth, but got out of trouble with three strikeouts to earn her second win of the day and 58th of her career.
Less than 24 hours after hitting two home runs and driving in four against East Central, C. Busby had another big game, going 3-5 with three RBI and a run scored against the Gorillas. Smith was 3-4 with two runs scored at the bottom of CU’s lineup, while B. Busby and Edwards both had a pair of hits in the win.
Whorton gave up three runs on three hits and five walks while striking out five during her 4.2 inning no decision. Hines, now 3-4 on the year, worked in 4.1 innings against the Gorillas, giving up two runs on three hits and one walk while sitting down six batters via the strikeout.
On deck:
Now 5-5 on the year, Cameron will compete in the MSU Invitational next weekend, Feb. 14-16, in Wichita Falls, Texas. They open the weekend with a battle against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Friday at 5 p.m. CU will also face Northwestern Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney, and Regis during the five-game slate.