Bartlesville, OK-
The Oklahoma Wesleyan Lady Eagles wrapped up their regular season Saturday with a split on the road against Ottawa, highlighted by a dominant performance in game one before falling in the finale. With the results, OKWU closes the regular season at 37-11 overall and 20-6 in conference play as they now turn their attention to postseason competition.
The Lady Eagles set the tone early in the opener, delivering a complete team performance in an 8-0 run-rule victory. After three scoreless innings, OKWU broke through in the fourth when Maria Fory sent a solo home run to center to get the scoring started. The offense continued to build momentum from there, adding two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and three more in the sixth behind a steady stream of quality at-bats and pressure on the Ottawa defense. Fory led the way with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate, while Gracie Jones delivered a key two-RBI double and Brooklyn Purtell added two RBIs of her own as part of a 12-hit effort for the Lady Eagles. In the circle, Yina Vargas was in complete control, tossing a one-hit shutout across six innings while striking out three to secure the win and keep Ottawa off the scoreboard.
In the final game of the regular season, Ottawa responded early and forced OKWU to play from behind. A leadoff home run in the first inning gave the Braves an early edge, and a three-run third inning helped extend the lead to 4-0 before another run in the fourth made it a five-run game. The Lady Eagles continued to compete and found a spark in the sixth inning, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to bring home two runs, but the rally was not enough to close the gap as Ottawa held on for a 5-2 victory. Brooklyn Purtell led OKWU with two hits in the contest, while multiple Lady Eagles contributed offensively in the effort.
With the regular season now complete, the Lady Eagles shift their focus to the KCAC Tournament, where they will face Tabor College on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Salina, Kansas, hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University.
