Salina, KS —
The Oklahoma Wesleyan Lady Eagles picked up their second win of the KCAC Tournament on Wednesday, taking down Ottawa 12-10 in a high-scoring matchup in Salina, Kansas.
Ottawa struck first with a three-run home run in the opening inning, but the Lady Eagles answered right away. Kami Withem led off the bottom half with a solo home run, and Maria Fory later came around to score after aggressive baserunning and a defensive miscue to cut the deficit to one.
The momentum fully shifted in the second inning as Oklahoma Wesleyan erupted for seven runs. A three-RBI triple from Fory highlighted the inning, while Audrina Landin added a two-RBI single and Brooklyn Purtell chipped in with an RBI knock as the Lady Eagles turned a deficit into a commanding lead.
OKWU kept the pressure on in the third when Purtell launched a three-run home run to extend the lead to 12-3, creating enough separation to withstand a late push from Ottawa. The Braves continued to fight, scoring in the fourth and adding multiple runs in the seventh, but the early offensive surge from the Lady Eagles proved to be the difference.
At the plate, Withem led the way with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, while Purtell drove in four runs and Fory added three RBIs. The Lady Eagles totaled 14 hits as a team in the win.
In the circle, Addison Dorsay earned the win after tossing 4.2 innings in relief, helping settle things after Ottawa's early momentum.
With the win, Oklahoma Wesleyan advances in the KCAC Tournament and will face Evangel on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Salina.
