Softball’s Title Defense Ends on Second Day of KCAC Tournament

GREAT BEND, Kan. – A shutout win helped pave the way for Avila softball to make it into the second day of the 2024 KCAC Softball Championship, but their title defense ended there when the No. 5 Eagles (31-20) fell into an early hole that they could not overcome in an eventual 11-3 loss to No. 2 Ottawa (37-14) on Thursday afternoon in Great Bend.

Avila's loss means there will be a new KCAC Tournament champion in 2024 after the Eagles' unbeaten run to the title in 2023. The Braves went 1-1 on day one to move into the consolation bracket against Avila, and then dropped their next game against No. 8 Tabor later on Thursday. The Eagles very likely would have had to win the KCAC Tournament again to earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Opening Round for the second straight season, but their quest for consecutive championships came to close, thanks to their third loss of the campaign against their local foes.

It's well known that Avila raced to its first KCAC Tournament championship thanks to strong pitching and defense and timely hitting. The Eagles surrendered only three runs over four games last year to win the event, and after conceding five to Saint Mary in a loss on Wednesday, the Eagles gave up the first ten runs of the game Thursday before the offense clawed back to avoid a potential early end, but the damage had been done, and Ottawa coasted to a win to advance in the consolation bracket.

Kara Hafenstine started the surge with a two-out RBI double in the first inning before the Braves completely broke things open in the second inning, scoring eight runs on only four hits to take a commanding early lead. Reagan Hammons capped it off with a three-run home run to left, her team-leading 14^th homer of the year, and a Cierra Faubion RBI hit in the fourth finally made it 10-0 Braves.

The Eagles got blitzed out of the gates, but ultimately settled in and gave the Braves a strong push back. Avila got one baserunner the first time through the order against starter Ashlynn Mercer but Ka'Zem Wood put an end to that trend by leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run to get the Eagles on the board. Avila was down to its final three outs, trailing by nine in the fifth, but the bottom of the order manufactured a rally and the top cashed in to extend the game into the sixth and seventh innings.

A throwing error started it all off, and after a Julia Douglass single and a fielder's choice the Eagles had first and third with two outs. Chelsea Kurtz stepped up and pulled a single through the right side to plate Laila Rueda, and Wood followed with her second straight hit, on which Zoleecia Grayson ultimately scored to make it 10-3.

That was enough to push the game into the sixth inning, and the Avila bullpen did a nice job of keeping the Braves at bay. Aarilynn Richardson got six outs and allowed only one run, Madyson Withey got ten outs and allowed only one run, and then Montana Stangel entered to record the final out in her final collegiate appearance. On the other side though, after scoring two against Loralei Gilbert in the fifth inning the Eagles could not score against her in the final two frames, leading Ottawa to an 11-3 win which knocked the Eagles out of the postseason.

Faubion and Hafenstine both recorded three hits for the Braves, and both Hafenstine and Hammons drove in three runs. Wood led the Eagles with three hits of her own, finishing a triple shy of the cycle in her final game of the season.

Avila softball has once again become one of the best teams on campus and one of the best programs in the conference as head coach Charlie Kennedy completes his third season at the helm. Many players earned accolades for their exploits this season, helping the Eagles to the best start in league play of any team in the conference. Avila was one of the nation's leaders in both home runs and stolen bases this season and many members of the squad are set to return, ensuring that the near future of Avila softball looks as bright as the recent present has proved to be.