ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – For the first time in recorded program history, the Aggie softball team is 6-0 to start the season as they recorded a pair of comeback wins over Emporia State and Henderson State on Monday.
Cameron opened the Ronnie Hawkins/Mike McGhee Memorial Tournament on Saturday with a pair of shutout wins and then followed that up with two wins powered by the offense on Sunday. Monday, the Aggies had to come from behind in both of their wins, beating the Hornets 3-2 and the Reddies 12-5 to remain perfect to start the 2022 season.
In game one against ESU, fell behind 2-0 after the Hornets stung pitcher
Jocelyn Bright for three hits in the top of the third. Bright gave up the two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts before being relieved by
Josie Swafford an out into the fifth.
Cameron was held off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth inning.
Alyssa Deanda singled with one out, one of her two hits in the game, and then head coach
Kayla Adams made the right call by going to the bench and putting in
Karis Clark to hit. The junior from Mustang, Okla. hit a two-run bomb over the center field fence to tie the game at two.
Later in the fifth,
Khmari Edwards came up clutch, driving in
Mikayla Richmond on a single with two outs to give the Aggies a 3-2 advantage.
Swafford gave up just two hits in the final 2.2 innings of the game to secure her second win of the year and Cameron's fifth straight.
CU totaled just five hits with Deanda providing two and Clark, Edwards, and Swafford providing the other three. They left five runners on base.
On Sunday morning, Cameron beat Henderson State 7-3. In Monday's rematch, the Reddies came out swinging against starter
Breley Webb, getting three runs of a home by Brooke Johnson.
The Aggies responded in the top of the second, with Clark scoring on a passed ball after walking earlier in the frame and Edwards drawing a walk with the bases loaded to bring home Deanda, who had another hit earlier in the frame.
Still down a run, CU evened the game in their half of the third, getting a run on a fielder's choice play that allowed pinch runner
Kelsye Loughman to score. HSU regained the lead in the bottom half with a run on a RBI double by Johnson.
Cameron's bats were sparked by four straight singles by Edwards,
Kylie French, Webb, and Swafford resulting in two more runs to score. Clark then hit her second homer of the day, driving in three more and putting the Aggies up 8-4.
The Aggies added another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Swafford and then HSU answered with solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to set the final score at 9-5.
Swafford pitched five innings in relief, striking out six and giving up the one run on five hits. Webb allowed just one earned run but four came in to score on three hits and a pair of walks during her two innings in the circle.
At the plate, Webb and French provided two hits a piece with French scoring a pair of runs, as did Clark who was 1-2 with the three-run homer.
The unbeaten Aggies have another busy weekend of softball next week when they compete in week one of the Edmond Festival. They open the five-game slate on Friday, Feb. 11, at noon against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
