Softball Team Gets Split at Texas Wesleyan

CROWLEY, Texas – After a heartbreaking loss the first game, the USAO softball team came back with a convincing win the nightcap to split a doubleheader Tuesday against Texas Wesleyan. The Drovers lost the first game, 5-4, but followed with a 9-2 victory in the second game at Teeter Park.

With the split, USAO runs its record to 4-3 overall, with the conference opener just around the corner. On Thursday, the Drovers travel to Ada for a 2 p.m. doubleheader against East Central. USAO is at Bacone College Feb. 22 for a 2 p.m. twin bill, followed by the home opener against Oklahoma City on March 1.

In Tuesday’s first game, Texas Wesleyan catcher Amanda Milam crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Lady Rams a 5-4 victory. USAO had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 10^th inning, when senior Alana Hare scored on a throwing error by TWU pitcher Devin Blew.

Texas Wesleyan (2-1) got on the board first in the second inning, but USAO fought back with two runs in the third inning for a 2-1 lead. The Drovers added a run in the top of the sixth, and the Lady Rams answered back with two runs for a 3-3 tie.

Judkins, junior Nikki Aguilar, sophomore Morgan Skelley, junior Amanda Cotton and freshman Tanna Truelove had two hits each for USAO. Junior pitcher Dana Askins (1-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on 11 hits. The left-hander struck out four and walked two in her second complete game of the season.

Things turned around for USAO in the nightcap, as the Drovers scored three runs in the fourth, two in the sixth, and four in the seventh for a convincing 9-2 win. Texas Wesleyan, meanwhile, managed just two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Freshman Jennifer Bridgeforth got the fourth inning rally started with a bunt single. Two batters later, Aguilar cleared the bases with a three-run home run, her third on the season. Hey and Aguilar also had doubles for USAO’s other extra-base hits.

Aguilar and junior Stephanie Hey each had two hits for the Drovers, while Aguilar collected four RBIs and scored three times. Junior pitcher Kindra Gregory (3-1) got a career-high 12 strikeouts for the win. The right-hander allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, and just one walk in her fifth start and second complete game of the season.