'Roo Softball Splits with Ozarks

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. - The Austin College softball team wrapped up its three-game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series at the University of the Ozarks on Saturday, with the 'Roos falling 4-3 in extra innings in game one before bouncing back for a 5-0 victory in the last game of the weekend. The 'Roos are now 4-7 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

Game one saw the 'Roos jump out to an early 1-0 lead after Tori Fowler came home on an error in the first inning, but the Eagles evened things up in the bottom of the first and the score remained knotted until the fourth. That's when Tessa Contreras put Austin College ahead 2-1 with an RBI single, bringing Ashlynn Brothers around to score. 

The Eagles took the lead in the sixth with a pair of runs, with the go-ahead run coming thanks to a defensive error, but Austin College forced the extra frame when Lauren Trott brought home Emma Freiermuht with a sacrifice fly to square things up at 3-3. Austin College was unable to push a run across in the top of the eighth, and the Eagles managed to walk things off with an RBI double by Brilea Rofkahr to make it a 4-3 final. Cassidy Cantera took the loss in relief, surrendering a run on three hits in 2.0 innings, while Morgan Haupt went the distance in the circle for the Eagles to get the win while striking out nine.

Fowler, Jillian Kelly, Reagan Brinkley, and Cheyenne Fields each had a pair of hits for the 'Roos, with Contreras and Trott both driving in a run. Rofkahr was 2-for-4 to pace Ozarks.

The 'Roos bounced back with a shutout win in game two, as Zoey Harrell tossed the best game of her young collegiate career to pitch Austin College to the victory. Harrell went all seven innings, giving up just one hit for her first career win in what was also her first start. The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when Fields put Austin College on the board with an RBI single, and the margin grew to 3-0 on a two-run hit by Brinkley in the sixth.

Fowler brought home another run in the seventh, and Kelly capped the scoring with an RBI base hit in the next at-bat to push it to 5-0 and secure the win. Harrell needed only 67 pitches to get through her complete game shutout victory, striking out two batters and walking just one. Fields and Kelly each had two hits, with Fields collecting a double in one of her plate appearances. Bailee Cowell got her first loss of the season for Ozarks, giving up five runs - three earned - with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work.

Austin College is back home next weekend for a three-game conference set against No. 8-ranked Texas Lutheran.