ADA, OKLA. – The East Central University softball team split the final two games of a four-game Great American Conference series with Northwestern Oklahoma State at Tiger Field.  The Tigers (11-11, 6-6 GAC) picked up a 3-1 win in the opening game and then fell 4-3 in nine innings in the finale.

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Junior Aundrea Hamric led ECU with a .500 batting average, two hits and a run in both games.  Senior Claresha Clemons added a .333 average, two hits, two runs and an RBI.

Freshman Jessica Sisemore picked up the win in the circle, throwing a complete game.  Sisemore allowed four hits and just one run (not earned), while striking out one.

ECU will now get ready for their next home series, March 16-17 against Ouachita Baptist at Tiger Field.

ECU 3, NWOSU 1
Defense was the word of the day in the opening game, with both teams holding each other scoreless through the fourth inning.  However, an error in the fifth by the Tigers allowed a run to cross, giving the Rangers (5-13, 4-8 GAC) the 1-0 lead.

ECU would wait until the bottom of the sixth to score, but when they did they took control of the game, with three runs.  After the first two outs, junior Breecia Crawford and Clemons were both walked, allowing senior Alissa Taylor to earn all three RBIs with a home run to right center and the 3-1 lead.

The Tigers strong defense then took over and sent the first three NWOSU batters back to the dugout to claim the 3-1 victory.

NWOSU 4, ECU 3 (9)
Both teams again held each other scoreless for the first two innings, with the Rangers striking first with a run in the third.  NWOSU then added a run in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth (2-1).  Clemons led off the inning with a double and advanced to second on the second out of the inning.  That gave freshman Tarah Hilton an RBI when she singled up the middle.

The Rangers added to the lead in the fifth, with a single run, but again ECU tallied a run of her own for a 3-2 score.  After a the first out, Hamric hit a bunt single, stole second and then scored when Clemons doubled.

The Tigers then tied the game at three in the sixth.  Sophomore Catherine Barrera and Hilton both reached due to errors and were on the corners.  That allowed junior Mariah Ewy to earn an RBI with a sacrifice fly.

The teams buckled back down on defense again and forced extra innings.  ECU had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the seventh, but a runners was called out for running early, negating what would have been the winning run.

Neither team scored in the eight, but the Rangers were able to get a run across in the top of the ninth for a 4-3 advantage.  The Tigers could not get a runner on in the bottom of the inning and fell 4-3.