SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH BETHEL AFTER NINE-RUN OUTPUT

NORTH NEWTON, Kan. – After a blown lead in the first game, Avila softball came back in the second game to earn a split, losing 5-4 before picking up a 9-2 win on Saturday afternoon.

In the opener, Avila got out to a 2-0 lead off a fourth-inning error and a sac fly from Carlee Shelter.

In the fifth, starting pitched McKayla Cotton helped herself out with a two-run home run to score Maya Richards and put the Eagles up 4-0.

A bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh, a run-scoring single and a two-out, walk-off single gave Bethel the comeback victory in game one.

Avila would not take any chances in the second game, scoring early and often.

In the first inning, Madison Kelly scored two on a double. Kelly would come around to score two pitches later on an RBI double from Stephanie Hayes. To round out the four-run first, Elizabeth Harvey scored Hayes on an RBI single.

The Eagles put up two more in the fourth on a run-scoring error and an RBI single from Cotton – her third of the day – to go up 6-1.

An RBI double from Marissa Sanchez and an RBI single from Richards put Avila up 8-1 after five.

Avila added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single from Emily Branson.

Faith Heaster shut the Threshers down in the circle, throwing a complete game, allowing just two runs and facing just 28 Bethel batters. 

Six games remain before the KCAC Tournament. Avila will head to Springfield on Wednesday for a doubleheader with Evangel beginning at 2 PM.

 (photo credit: Ali Nassir)