ARKADELPHIA — The Ouachita softball team knocked off Oklahoma Baptist 5-4 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in Saturday's opener to secure the first ranked win of the season and hand the Bison their first loss in Great American Conference play. The Tigers ultimately lost the rubber match 8-2 to drop the home series.
Ouachita broke through while trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning after freshman Alaina Lyle hit an opposite field double off the left field wall, then junior Jordyn Merrett beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. It set the stage for junior Karley Burrow to punch an outside pitch the other way for a 3-run homer over the left field wall to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Burrow went 3-for-7 in Saturday's doubleheader and led the Tigers with 3 RBI and her second homer this season.
Oklahoma Baptist answered as Nichelle Marshall matched with a solo shot, then the Bison took a late 4-3 lead after Haley Hacker scored on a wild pitch. Down to their final frame to level the series, Merrett beat out another infield single, then Burrow followed with a single up the middle to get the tying run on base. A sacrifice bunt failed to move the runners over and gifted the Bison the first out, but it flipped the lineup back to the top.
Redshirt-senior Remington Adams and freshman Morgan Uher came through with clutch singles to level the score at 4-4. With the bases loaded, junior Emily Reed drove a sacrifice fly deep enough to center field to score Olivia See for the walk-off win to even the series. Adams led the Tigers with five hits over the weekend. Sophomore Catie Amador (5-7) earned the win after retiring the side in order in the seventh.
The Bison blitzed with three homers in the series finale, including two sprayed from Ally Ryan, while Greenlee Wells increased her league lead to 17 this season. Ouachita answered as freshman Alaina Lyle launched a 2-run blast over the wall in right-center for her first career home run to cut the deficit in half. Lyle finished 3-for-6 at the plate. Oklahoma Baptist capitalized on three errors that piled up over the final two frames to run away with an 8-2 victory in the finale.
Ouachita visits Drury for a doubleheader on Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.
