In a matchup between two of the top teams in the KCAC, the OKWU softball team had to battle in extra innings of Game 2 to get the win and maintain their place atop the KCAC standings. Both games came down to the wire, with Friends taking the first and OKWU winning the second in dramatic fashion. After the two games, the Lady Eagles are 32-11 on the season and 17-3 in the KCAC.

Recap – Game 1, 1-0 loss:

• Game 1 was a pitchers duel as neither offense was able to generate any runs until the final inning. For OKWU, Maddy Wiese got the start, pitching a complete game, allowing just 4 hits, and striking out 13. Friends pitcher Laila Spracklen earned the win with a complete game effort.
• The lone run came in the top of the 7^th inning. Spracklen, this time doing damage at the plate, hit an RBI single that scored the run that would end up winning the game. OKWU was unable to muster any offense in their half of the 7^th and lost 1-0.

Game 2 – 10-9 win (11 innings)

• This back-and-forth game was tight from the jump. The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1^st when Tahlor Stefek hit an RBI single.
• In the 2^nd, OKWU added another, this time on a Baylee Knorr RBI single.
• Friends responded in the 3^rd, adding a run on a sacrifice hit to centerfield.
• In the 4^th, Friends tied things up with a solo homerun.
• Neither team scored in the 5^th inning. In the top of the 6^th, Friends took a 3-2 lead when they hit a single that scored a run. OKWU didn't score in their half of the 6^th.
• Maddy Wiese returned to the mound in the 7^th and took care of business, giving the Lady Eagles a shot to tie things up in the bottom of the 7^th. Ryleigh Clinton stepped to the plate and delivered, blasting a solo homer that made it 3-3 and sent the game into extra innings.
• In the 9^th, with the scored still knotted at 3, Friends put up 4 runs in quick succession, making it 7-3 in their favor and putting the pressure on OKWU to respond.
• The Lady Eagles responded. Stefek hit an RBI double that made it 7-4. The next batter, Lindy Alexander, notched a single to the right side that scored Knorr and made it 7-5.
• Ryleigh Clinton hit a pop-up to second, but some confusion on the defense's part allowed Stefek to score and make it 7-6. The next batter, Maddy Wiese, hit an RBI single to tie the game at 7.
• In the 11^th inning, a Friends triple brought in two runs and gave the Falcons a 9-7 lead.
• Sofia Cardenas scored after a Baylee Knorr double to cut the lead 9-8.
• Stefek stepped to the plate and hit a single, then advanced all the way to third after the defense tried to get Knorr out at the plate.
• During the next at-bat, a wild pitch that got past the catcher allowed Stefek to score the game-winning run from third, giving the Lady Eagles the win.
• Following the game, OKWU seniors Bailey Zornes, Sofia Cardenas, Payton Langley, and Tahlor Stefek were honored for their careers and contributions to the OKWU softball program.

Up Next:

• OKWU is on the road for the remainder of the regular season. They head to Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday for a doubleheader. The games are set for 1 and 3 p.m.