Shawnee, KS — 

The Oklahoma Wesleyan softball team opened play at the Midwest College Classic on Friday in Shawnee, Kansas, splitting a pair of games on the first day of competition. The Lady Eagles earned a 4–1 win over MidAmerica Nazarene in the opener before falling 7–3 to Midland in the afternoon matchup. 

Game 1 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene 

Oklahoma Wesleyan used timely power hitting and strong pitching to secure a 4–1 victory in its first game of the day. The Lady Eagles broke through in the third inning when Raegan Rector launched a two-run home run to right field, scoring Abby Huie and giving Oklahoma Wesleyan a 2–0 lead. 

After MidAmerica Nazarene trimmed the deficit to one in the sixth inning, the Eagles responded immediately. Rector singled to begin the bottom half of the frame and was replaced by a pinch runner before Brooklyn Purtell delivered a two-run home run to left field, extending the lead to 4–1 and providing insurance. 

Rector finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Purtell added a pair of RBIs of her own. In the circle, G. Simpson earned the win after tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just one run, and A. Rogers closed out the final 1.2 innings to secure the save. 

Game 2 vs. Midland 

The Lady Eagles dropped their second contest of the day, falling 7–3 to Midland. The Warriors built early momentum with a four-run first inning and added runs in the third and fourth to create separation. 

Oklahoma Wesleyan answered in the bottom of the first when Brooklyn Purtell drove in Abby Huie with a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 4–1. The Eagles added two more runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a Midland error before Maddie Ogle delivered an RBI single to center field to bring Oklahoma Wesleyan within three. Midland added an insurance run in the sixth to maintain control. 

Ogle led the Eagles with two hits and an RBI, while Huie also recorded two hits in the contest. 

With the split, Oklahoma Wesleyan moves to 12–4 overall heading into day two of the Midwest College Classic.