DURANT, Okla. – The Aggie softball team concluded the Southeastern Regional Invitational on Sunday with a pair of close wins, taking down Washburn, 4-2, in eight innings, and defeating Missouri Southern State, 4-3.
Against the Ichabods, the Aggies were held scoreless through the first six innings, while took the lead with a double in the bottom of the third.
Bethany Hines pitched a complete game for the Ags while giving up just one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts.
Cameron, who struck out eight times as a team, scored their first run of the game when it mattered most. To lead off the seventh,
Kaylyn Smith walked and then stole second. After two straight outs, Smith stole third and the pickoff attempt was thrown into the outfield; Smith scored from third. Hines got a three-up-three-down inning in the bottom of the inning to force the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, Cameron struck for three runs on two hits and an error.
Lauren Mason started it off by driving in Hines on a single.
Callie Busby then reached on an error which scored her sister
Brenna Busby.
Madyson Marvulli then capped the inning off with an RBI groundout to score Mason. Washburn was able to strike for a run in the next half inning via an error, but Hines was able to strike out the final batter to secure the win.
In the second game of the day, Cameron jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first and one in the second. C. Busby drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and then
Abbey Warren singled to bring in another in the first. They added the third on
Makaylah Ramirez's first homerun of her career in the second inning.
The Lions evened the game up at three runs with a three spot in the fourth thanks to a two run homer that scored the second and third runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Aggies scored their fourth and the eventual winning run when Warren reached on an error that brought in C. Busby.
Rylee Willmon then shut down MSSU in the final two innings to notch her first win on the year.
B. Busby led Cameron with three hits and two runs scored on the day, while Mason and Ramirez each had two hits; Warren and C. Busby had a team best two RBI in the two game span. Additionally, the Black and Gold stole 10-11 bases with B. Busby recorded four and Smith stealing three.
The Aggies end their opening weekend with a 4-2 record and will next compete at the St. Mary's Invitational, Feb. 9-11. They will face Fort Hays State, St. Edward's, Regis, St. Mary's, and California-Pennsylvania during the three game span.
