SAN ANGELO, Texas – Griffon Softball (9–1) capped the George and Ola McCorkle Challenge with a doubleheader sweep of Central Region opponent Ouachita Baptist (1-5), taking game one 5–4 before securing a 3–2 win at Mayer Softball Field.
Game 1: MoWest 5 Ouachita Baptist 4 (9 innings)
Griffon Softball completed a late comeback to earn a 5–4 victory on Saturday, pulling ahead with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth.
MWSU struck first in the opening inning when
Kalee Higdon came home on a wild pitch to give the Griffons an early 1–0 edge. Ouachita Baptist answered in the third on an unearned run, then took a 4–1 lead in the fifth with a pair of scores.
The Griffons began to chip away in the sixth.
Amiya Hernandez launched a solo home run to left field, followed by an RBI single from
Sydney Young that trimmed the deficit to 4–3. MWSU evened the score in the seventh as
Sienna Reed crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
The decisive run came in the ninth inning when
Rachel Cain doubled to left center, driving in
Brooklynn Clark to put the Griffons in front, 5–4.
In the circle,
Ashlyn Finarty struck out six over four innings of work.
Harley Pruetting earned the win in relief, tossing five shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out eight to secure the victory.
Game 2: MoWest 3 Ouachita Baptist 2
In game two of the doubleheader, the Griffons held on for a 3–2 victory behind early offense and strong pitching.
MWSU jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first inning as
Ayva McComas doubled to right-center to bring home two runs, followed by an RBI single from Finarty. The Tigers answered with an unearned run in the fourth and a solo home run in the sixth to trim the margin, but the Griffons' pitching staff limited further damage.
Aubrey Dare picked up the win after tossing five innings with six strikeouts, while
Torie Sandoval locked down the final two frames to earn the save, striking out three and securing the 3–2 win in game two of the doubleheader.
What's Next
Griffon Softball opens play at the D2 Battle at Branson on Friday and Saturday in Branson, Missouri. The Griffons begin the weekend Friday with a 9:30 a.m. matchup against Maryville, followed by a 1:30 p.m. contest versus Southern Nazarene. Action resumes Saturday as MWSU takes on Quincy at 11:30 a.m. before closing the event against Southwest Baptist at 1:30 p.m.
