ADA – For the second time in as many weeks, the East Central University softball team will have a busy few days playing six games by Tuesday, April 18. The Tigers will first travel to Shawnee, Okla., for a four-game Great American Conference series, April 13-14 and then hit the road for Durant, Okla., for a double header with Southeastern April 18.
The Tigers are 21-21 overall and 12-18 in the GAC after going 2-4 last week. ECU first split a double header with Southeastern (April 4) and then went 1-0 vs. No. 4 Harding (April 7-8) at Tiger Field. The Tigers handed the Bisons their first loss in 25 games and just the second in the league this season.
In the span, freshman
Catherine Barrera hit .400 with two hits and two RBIs. Sophomore
Madison Thompson added a .333 average, two hits and two RBIs.
Senior
Kelbie Crelia went 2-1 in the circle, including the win over Harding. She through three complete games, a shutout, allowed 16 hits and nine runs, struck out five and earned a 2.58 ERA.
Oklahoma Baptist comes into the weekend with a 16-22 overall record and an 8-20 mark in the league. The Bison are hitting .276 as a team and allowing a .325 average.
Cheyenne Demaree is the team's leader at the plate, with a .375 average, 21 hits, 11 runs and 17 RBIs. She is one of three players with an average over .300 on the season, with Shelby Savage and Jill Shipman both netting a .333 mark.
The Bison have four pitchers on the staff, with two seeing most of the action. Haylee Zimmerman has seen the most action, with 91.1 innings, 127 hits and 58 runs allowed, 29 Ks and a 9-8 record. Bailee Saye adds a 3-8 record, 102 hits and 73 runs allowed and 42 strikeouts in 84.0 innings.
The Tigers and OBU have met on 37 previous occasions since 1999, with ECU holding a 25-12 lead in the series. However, the teams have played just four games as league opponents, with the Tigers earning a 3-1 lead.
The Savage Storm head into the weekend with a 16-22 overall record and a 10-18 mark in the league. Southeastern will face Southern Nazarene in a four-game series over the weekend before hosting ECU.
The series with Southeastern is currently set a 13-43-1 in favor of the Savage Storm after the teams split the first double header of the year April 4 in Ada. The series stands a 4-8 in the league and 7-21 when playing in Durant, Okla.
