ADA, Okla. – It was a night to remember at Tiger Softball Field as East Central softball not only secured a nonconference doubleheader sweep over Arlington Baptist University, but also made program history by playing under the lights for the first time since the program's inception in 1995.
Before game two, ECU Athletic Director
Matt Cole and University President Wendell Godwin addressed the crowd, recognizing the significance of the moment. Inaugural head coach Ron Miller then delivered the ceremonial first pitch as the newly installed lights were officially turned on, marking a new era for Tiger Softball.
On the field, the Tigers opened the day with a 7-6 victory in game one before closing the night with a dominant 10-2 run-rule win in five innings.
In the opener, ECU erupted for five runs in the first inning to set the tone early.
Katelin Keller delivered an RBI single to score
Elyse LeClair, while
Abbey Strong later came home on a Patriot error.
Kenni Tudor added an RBI groundout, and aggressive baserunning helped extend the lead to 4-0 before
Kate Williams capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
Arlington Baptist responded with a run in the fourth, but the Tigers answered with two more in the bottom half. Tudor recorded a sacrifice fly, and a defensive miscue allowed both
Hannah Whitaker and Keller to score, pushing the lead to 7-1.
The Patriots mounted a late rally with three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh to cut the deficit to one, but ECU held on to secure the 7-6 victory.
At the plate,
Katelin Keller led the Tigers with a hit, RBI, and two runs scored, while
Hannah Whitaker added a hit and crossed the plate twice.
Abbey Strong and
Lillian Bacon each contributed a hit, with Strong also scoring a run.
Kate Williams added an RBI on her lone hit, while
Kenni Tudor drove in a team-high two runs.
Elyse LeClair and
Kennedy Lord each scored a run, with Lord also drawing two walks to help fuel the offense.
In the circle,
Kennedy Schroeder earned the win, tossing 4.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Lindsey Mauppin closed things out to secure the save, allowing just two hits over 2.2 innings while not surrendering an earned run.
Game two saw the Tigers take control in the third inning, plating five runs to break things open.
Abbey Strong got the scoring started with an RBI double, followed by RBI singles from Keller and Tudor.
Kennedy Lord drew a bases-loaded walk, and
Kate Williams added another RBI single to give ECU a 5-0 advantage.
ECU continued to build in the fourth, with Keller driving in a run on a groundout before Whitaker and Tudor each brought in runs to extend the lead to 8-0.
After Arlington Baptist scored twice in the fifth, the Tigers quickly responded. Strong delivered again with an RBI single, and Keller followed with another RBI knock to seal the 10-2 run-rule victory.
Offensively,
Elyse LeClair and
Abbey Strong powered the Tigers, with LeClair going 3-for-4 with three runs scored while Strong turned in a perfect 4-for-4 performance with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Katelin Keller added three hits and a team-high three RBIs, while
Hannah Whitaker chipped in a hit, RBI, and two runs scored.
Kenni Tudor contributed a hit and two RBIs, with
Kate Williams and
Kennedy Lord each driving in a run.
Haley Kruger also scored in the effort as ECU totaled 13 hits in the run-rule victory.
Bradi Odom earned the win in the circle, delivering a complete five-inning performance with seven strikeouts while allowing just two runs on five hits.
ECU now turns its focus to Great American Conference play, hosting Southern Nazarene University for a series at home. The Tigers will open with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 2 at 4 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Friday, April 3 at 1 p.m.
