SOFTBALL GOES 1-1 ON FIRST DAY OF KCAC TOURNAMENT

SALINA, Kan. – Avila softball opened the 2026 KCAC Tournament with an upset loss and a five-run victory on Wednesday, losing 2-1 to Friends before picking up an 8-3 win over Bethany.

In the first game of the day, Avila battled with Friends in a low-scoring affair. The two teams combined for just five hits in the first four innings.

The Falcons opened the scoring in the top of the fifth with back-to-back two-out RBI to go up 2-0.

Avila could not get any offense going until the bottom of the seventh inning.

Abi Beaman led off the seventh with a first-pitch double. McKayla Cotton would move her to third base with one out and Madison Kelly scored Beaman on a single to left field to cut the Friends lead in half.

With two outs to play with, Avila went down on seven pitches, unable to bring the tying run around to score, falling to Friends, 2-1.

The loss put Avila in the loser's bracket, where they faced eighth-seeded Bethany on Wednesday evening.

Bethany opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-out single. A scoreless second inning would pass before Avila opened their scoring in the top of the third.

With two runners on, McKayla Cotton singled to left field to score Marissa Sanchez and that was immediately followed up by an RBI single from Madison Kelly to put the Eagles up 2-1.

It was Kelly again in the fifth inning, when she drove in Cotton and Beaman on a two-run single up the middle.

Kelly wrapped up her two-game day driving in five of Avila's nine runs.

Bethany added one more run in the bottom half and another scoreless sixth inning to set the table for Avila to add a trio of insurance runs in the seventh.

Senior Stephanie Hayes drove in two with a single and Laila Rueda scored Hayes on an infield single to give the Eagles their eighth run of the game.

The Swedes got one back in the bottom half, but it wasn't enough to overcome Avila's eight-run output.

Mackenzie Daniels came on in relief of Faith Heaster and threw 2.2 one-run innings for the Eagles in the circle. 

No. 4 Avila will face No. 3 Ottawa on Thursday at 11 AM. Now playing single-elimination, Avila will look to continue its season with a win over its KCAC rival.

(photo credit: Ali Nassir)