ADA, Okla. – All nine hitters stepped up to the plate as the Ouachita softball team erupted for five runs in the first inning and never looked back to defeat East Central 9-5 in Friday's Great American Conference opener.

The visiting Tigers pounded out 11 hits, including three home runs to open league play with a statement road victory. Freshman catcher Addison Davidson started off the damage with a double to the right field corner, then later scored after redshirt-senior Remington Adams drilled an RBI single up the middle to plate the first run. Junior Emily Reed delivered a massive two-run shot over the left field wall as the Tigers pounced to a 3-0 lead just four batters into the game. 

The Tigers kept pouring in more runs as junior Jordyn Merrett poked an RBI triple over the head of the right fielder and into the corner. Freshman Alaina Lyle capped the five-spot with an RBI single that smacked off the centerfield wall to give Ouachita (3-7, 1-0 GAC) a commanding advantage before taking the field.

East Central (2-11, 0-1 GAC) countered with three unearned runs in the second, but Reed responded by launching her second home run of the game over the right field wall to extend Ouachita's lead to 6-3. Reed went 3-for-4 at the plate and led the Tigers with her fourth and fifth homers of the season, finishing with three RBI and three runs scored.

With two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning, Lyle lifted a bloop single that landed between three fielders in shallow centerfield to add a pair of runs for Ouachita. The Tigers later added another insurance run in the sixth when Davidson blasted her first collegiate homer deep to left-center. The freshman flashed her poise behind the dish, setting up an East Central base runner during a double steal with a sharp throw to Adams, who fired back home to throw out the runner trying to score for the first out of the sixth inning, ultimately terminating any late momentum. 

In the circle, sophomore pitcher Catie Amador (2-3) earned her second win after striking out five hitters, while allowing just two earned runs in five innings. Junior Karley Burrow and freshman Parker Rodgers pitched two scoreless innings of relief to seal the series opener victory. 

Ouachita faces East Central in a doubleheader on Saturday, with first pitch set for noon.