OCU Sports
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
OKLAHOMA CITY – The top-ranked Oklahoma City University softball team began the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament with a 4-0 win over Southwestern Christian and followed it with a 10-2 run-rule victory of Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) Thursday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
Oklahoma City (59-1) sits at 2-0 along with Texas Wesleyan on top of the pool play at OCU. The two teams will play at Ann Lacy Stadium for a spot in the tournament championship game 3 p.m. Friday. The Stars will be looking for their sixth 60 win season in program history.
OCU kicked off game one against Southwestern Christian (11-37) with three runs in the bottom of the first.
In the inning, Jaci Smith hit an RBI double to score the first run and was drove home on a single to right field by Madison Ellis. Amanda Ingram drove home the final run of the inning on a sacrifice squeeze bunt.
OCU added a run in the fourth when Laci Joyner lifted her second home run of the season over the center field wall.
Jaden Shores was spectacular in the circle for the Stars picking up the win to move to 12-0 this season. Shores, a freshman from Blanchard, Okla., threw a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out nine while walking only one.
McRae Cayton and Raeven Clark both recorded multiple hits for OCU to lead the way offensively.
Oklahoma City jumped out to an early lead once again in the game against SAGU (16-35).
The Stars put up four runs in the first inning, thanks in large part to a three-run homer off the bat of Ellis. Ingram once again provided the final run of the frame, this time on a sacrifice fly.
SAGU responded with two runs in the top of the second, but were unable to add any more as Georgia Wall came into the game and didn’t allow anyone to score despite a bases loaded, nobody out situation.
OCU added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, highlighted by an RBI double from Bailey Whitmore.
The big blow for Oklahoma City came in the sixth while Cayton hit an RBI double to make the score 8-2 and Ingram hit a single to allow two more runs to cross and give the Stars the run rule victory.
Wall, a sophomore from Marlow, Okla., picked up the win after allowing one hit, no runs and striking out seven in five innings of relief. She is now 25-0 and lowered her season earned run average to 0.75.
Cayton, a senior out of Irvine, Calif., recorded two more hits in game two to finish 4-for-7 with two RBIs and three runs scored on the day.
The SAC Tournament championship game will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Ann Lacy Stadium between the winners of the two pool play brackets.
Sooner Athletic Conference Softball Tournament
At Oklahoma City
Ann Lacy Stadium
Thursday, May 4
Texas Wesleyan 8, Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) 1
Oklahoma City 4, Southwestern Christian 0
Texas Wesleyan 11, Southwestern Christian 1
Oklahoma City 10, Southwestern Assemblies of God 2
Friday, May 5
Southwestern Assemblies of God vs. Southwestern Christian, 1 p.m.
Texas Wesleyan at Oklahoma City, 3 p.m.
At Shawnee, Okla.
Ball Fields at Firelake
Thursday, May 4
St. Gregory’s 8, Bacone 3
USAO 8, Mid-America Christian 0
St. Gregory’s 7, Mid-America Christian 1
USAO 12, Bacone 5
Friday, May 6
Bacone vs. Mid-America Christian, 1 p.m.
USAO at St. Gregory’s, 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 6
Championship
At Oklahoma City
Ann Lacy Stadium
Pool-play winners, 2 p.m.