ALVA, OKLA. – The East Central University softball team split the final day of the series at Northwestern Oklahoma State.  The Tigers (14-10, 5-7 GAC) first fell 4-6 and then claimed a 7-2 victory.

ECU was paced by junior Alissa Taylor, who hit .625 for the day, with five hits, one run, two doubles and three RBIs.

Senior Kelbie Crelia earned the win in the circle, throwing a complete game, allowing five hits and two runs and striking out three.

The Tigers will now have the rest of Spring Break to prepare for a four-game Great American Conference series in Arkadelphia, Ark., against Ouachita, March 17-18.

NWOSU 6, ECU 4
Both teams played strong defense in the first three innings, with several runners on base, but no runs were allowed to cross the plate.

The Rangers (4-20, 2-10 GAC) broke the stalemate in the bottom of the fourth, taking a 0-1 lead.

The Tigers responded in the fifth, with two runs to take a 2-1 advantage.  After the first out Taylor and freshman Catherine Barrera singled.  Junior Claresha Clemons followed with an RBI double to right center to tie the game.  Sophomore Breecia Crawford kept the inning alive with a walk and the final run was scored when sophomore Ellanee Allison reached due to an error.

However, NWOSU came right back to score five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-6 advantage.

ECU tried to make a comeback in the sixth, but was only able to add two runs for the 4-6 final.  Sophomore Caitlin Paolini was walked to start the inning and Hamric singled.  That put two runners in scoring position for Taylors double down the left line.

ECU 7, NWOSU 2
The Tigers came out ready to fight in the second game, taking a 7-0 advantage in the second.  After the first out Paolini doubled and redshirt sophomore Aundrea Hamric singled to put runners on second and third.  Sophomore Mariah Ewy then reached due to an error that allowed two runs to score. 

After the second out Taylor added an RBI single, followed by doubles from Clemons and Crawford, who earned two RBIs.  Allison kept the inning going by drawing a walk and the final run came across on a single from freshman Lindsae Walker.

The Rangers were able to plate a run in the bottom of the inning for a 7-1 ECU lead, but both teams then went scoreless until the fifth.

NWOSU was able to add one more run in the fifth for a 7-2 score, but that was all the scoring for the game.