SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Ouachita dropped both softball games in Tuesday's road doubleheader at Drury, falling 2-1 in walk-off fashion before losing 5-2 in the finale.
The Tigers scattered just four hits in the opener, but broke through to level the score in the final frame. After a hit by pitch and an infield error put traffic on the bases, freshman Alaina Lyle delivered a clutch RBI single up the middle to drive in junior Emily Reed and tie the game at 1-1. Lyle leads the team hitting .339 and paced the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the lone RBI.
Sophomore Catie Amador (5-9) took the loss in the opener after Drury sophomore Reece Anderson ended any chance of extras, leading off the seventh by smashing a walk-off home run the opposite way over the wall in right-center for the win.
The series finale offered more tension as both teams were locked in a scoreless battle until the fourth, when Drury threatened and put a pair of runners in scoring position. The Panthers seized the lead after senior Avery Budde hit a 2-run single into left field.
Ouachita capitalized on a pair of Drury errors and leaned on small ball in the fifth inning. Freshman Ryleigh Stinson and sophomore Rylee Gentzel executed consecutive sacrifice bunts to manufacture two runs for the Tigers and even the score. Drury answered in the bottom of the fifth after the first three hitters reached safely, then ultimately plated three more runs to run away for the sweep as the Panthers improved their record to 14-15.
After an 8-9 start this season, Ouachita has since fallen to 9-20. The Tigers continue their road swing on Wednesday with another non-conference doubleheader against Southwest Baptist (13-17) in Bolivar, Mo. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
