WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The East Central University softball team bounced back in a big way on Saturday, completing a doubleheader sweep over Southwestern Oklahoma State University to clinch a Great American Conference series victory.
 
After falling in Friday's opener, the Tigers showed resilience and composure, rallying for a 6-4 win in game one before securing the series with a 3-1 victory in game two. With the wins, ECU improves to 5-13 in GAC play.
 
ECU will now return home to Tiger Softball Field on Tuesday, March 31, for a special non-conference doubleheader against Arlington Baptist University at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The games will mark a historic moment for the program as the Tigers debut their newly installed lights, playing under the lights for the first time in school history.
 
Game One: ECU 6, SWOSU 4
The Tigers struck first in the second inning when Haley Kruger delivered an RBI single through the left side to score Kenni Tudor.
 
SWOSU answered in the fourth with a grand slam to take a 4-1 lead, but ECU chipped away. Katelin Keller sparked the comeback with a two-RBI double in the fifth, cutting the deficit to one. In the sixth, Elyse LeClair tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI fielder's choice.
 
ECU completed the comeback in the seventh. Keller led off with a solo home run to give the Tigers their first lead since the second inning, and Kennedy Lord added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to secure the 6-4 win. The Tigers plated five unanswered runs over the final three innings.
 
ECU's offense was fueled by a standout showing from Katelin Keller, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a go-ahead home run and a clutch two-RBI double in the game one comeback. Elyse LeClair added a strong performance at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Lylith Harris also recorded two hits. Kenni Tudor chipped in a hit and scored a run, and contributions from across the lineup, including Haley Kruger's RBI knock, helped power the Tigers to the 6-4 victory.
 
In the circle, the Tigers relied on a strong relief effort to secure the game one win, as Lindsey Mauppin earned the victory with 3.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and keeping SWOSU off the board down the stretch. Bradi Odom got the start, tossing 3.1 innings with two strikeouts, before Mauppin entered and shut the door, helping the Tigers complete the comeback victory.
 
Game Two: ECU 3, SWOSU 1
ECU wasted no time getting on the board in the nightcap. In the first inning, Abbey Strong drove in Elyse LeClair with a double down the third base line before Lylith Harris followed with an RBI single to give the Tigers an early 2-0 advantage.
 
The Bulldogs cut into the lead in the fifth with an RBI single, but ECU's defense and pitching held firm to maintain the lead.
 
In the seventh, Keller came through once again, delivering an RBI double to right center to score LeClair and add a key insurance run. The Tigers closed the door from there to complete the 3-1 victory and secure the series.
 
Lindsey Mauppin delivered a dominant complete-game performance in the circle in game two, earning the win after tossing all seven innings while allowing just one run on four hits. She struck out four and walked just one, keeping SWOSU in check throughout and shutting the door on the Tigers' series-clinching 3-1 victory.
 
ECU's offense in game two was paced once again by Katelin Keller, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Elyse LeClair added a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored at the top of the lineup. Lylith Harris also tallied two hits and drove in a run, and Abbey Strong chipped in an RBI knock as the Tigers produced timely offense in the 3-1 series-clinching win.