ADA, Okla. – The East Central University softball team made quick work of Friday's doubleheader against Ouachita Baptist University, shutting down the purple Tigers with victories of 3-0 and 4-1 to sweep the day.
 
ECU will wrap up the series with Ouachita Baptist with the series finale starting at noon tomorrow.
 
In both games, the Tigers' defense silenced Ouachita's offense, limiting them to just one run and four hits combined over the two contests while ECU secured seven runs and nine total hits.
 
Game one saw minimal action, with Ouachita managing only two hits in the seven innings while the Tigers produced just one. However, ECU broke the deadlock in the third inning when Gabi Quintanilla's groundout gave Josi Goodman enough time to score, giving them a 1-0 lead.
 
The Tigers extended their lead two innings later after taking advantage of an overthrow by Ouachita that allowed Josi Goodman and Brooklyn Flemming to cross home plate for a 3-0 advantage.
 
Ouachita Baptist would get their first and only hits between the sixth and seventh inning in an attempt to get on the scoreboard, but ECU pitcher Taylor Spence and the Tiger defense prevented them from doing so, resulting in the 3-0 game-one victory.
 
Spence recorded her fifth win in the circle, going a complete seven innings while allowing no runs and two hits.
 
In game two, Ouachita Baptist would be the first to strike with a run in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. However, ECU consistently threatened by putting runners on base until they finally broke through in the fifth inning with a two-out rally to claim the lead.
 
With Zoe Acosta and Gabi Quintanilla on second and third base, Jami Watson stepped up and drove the ball into center field to plate them and add two runs to the scoreboard. Then, Caton Muncy drilled her hit to right field, allowing Watson to scurry all the way home from first base for the 3-1 lead.
 
From the second inning onward, pitcher Lauren HerrNeckar and the Tiger defense prevented Ouachita Baptist from registering a hit for the rest of the game, allowing ECU to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with Elyse LeClair's RBI single to seal the 4-1 win and doubleheader sweep.
 
HerrNeckar earned her fourth win on the mound pitching a complete seven innings, allowing one run on two hits.
 
Jami Watson led the offense going 2-for-3 at the plate and adding two RBIs while Elyse LeClair, Zoe Acosta, Caton Muncy, Cheyenne Adair, Emily Bingham, and Josi Goodman each collected one hit.
 
The ECU defense was impressive, with several players making diving catches and clutch plays to preserve their lead throughout both games.