Softball Falls in Close Series at Ottawa

OTTAWA, Kan. – Avila softball (17-12, 4-2 KCAC) took its unblemished KCAC record on the road to face the conference's lone ranked team, #20 Ottawa (23-4, 8-0 KCAC) this Saturday in Ottawa. The Braves won both games, but the two wins came by a combined total of three runs after two hard-fought, tight matchups between the two local rivals.

Once again, Ottawa has been given the recognition as the KCAC's best team to this point in the season. And once again, Avila acquitted itself very nicely, giving the Braves their closest pair of conference games so far this year. The Eagles picked up their first two conference losses of the season, but they are two quality losses that seemed to indicate the Eagles have every chance to contend for a top spot in the standings when all is said and done.

It was the home team that got off to a hot start in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader – Madison Bunfill hit an RBI double in the first, and the Braves then scratched across two more runs in the second to go up 3-0 early. After a somewhat rocky first two innings, Avila ace Payton Walter went into lockdown mode the rest of the way, allowing only one hit over the final four innings and giving her offense a chance to rally.

After they threatened but could not score in the fifth, the Eagles finally broke through against new top Ottawa starter Ashlynn Mercer in the sixth when Brooke Belflower doubled and scored on a Julia Douglass groundout. Kat Wilds led off the seventh with a pinch-hit base hit, but Mercer recovered to get the next three Eagles out, wrapping up a 3-1 victory for the Braves in the opener. Avila out-hit Ottawa 6-5 in the contest; Walter threw her third complete game, and third quality start, of the week, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

There was quite a bit more offense on display in Saturday's second game, with both teams staging big innings and mounting rallies in an entertaining game. Once again Ottawa struck first, plating a pair in the first inning, but the Eagles answered and took a lead courtesy of some good small ball and some Ottawa miscues.

Talley Cole led off the third with a single and Ellysa Butterfield followed by beating out a bunt for a base hit. Later, Kennedee Lara did the same thing, forcing home Cole on the play to put Avila on the board before a couple of Ottawa errors helped Avila scored two more runs to take a 3-2 lead. Ottawa quickly regained the lead in the bottom half on a two-run double from Bunfill, but the Eagles retaliated once again in the next half inning.

With one out in the fourth but Butterfield and Chelsea Kurtz walked, and both Kurtz and Lara ultimately came in to score to put Avila back in front 5-4. Chaunelle Penn was a strike away from getting out of a jam in the fifth, but the Braves got a pair of clutch two-out hits from Emma Ryan and Cierra Faubion to drive in a total of three runs and go back in front 7-5.

McKayla Cotton entered and struck out Macey Morris to retire the side in the fifth, and the Eagles quickly staged a rally in the sixth. Cole led off with a single and though she was thrown out stealing Kurtz stepped up and pulled the play off, singling and stealing second and then scoring on a base hit from Lara. Cotton tossed a scoreless sixth to give the Eagles a shot, but all Avila could get against Loralei Gilbert in the seventh was an infield single from Stephanie Hayes, and Ottawa held on for a 7-6 victory and a doubleheader sweep.

Up next, Avila softball will return home for its second home KCAC doubleheader of the season this Tuesday, March 28, when the Eagles welcome Bethel to The Z. The start times have been moved back to 2 and 4 PM; as always, admission is free and you can watch the games live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.