PITCHING FROM COTTON AND FOUR RBI FROM DOUGLASS HELP SOFTBALL TO A TWO-GAME SWEEP OVER YORK

LINCOLN, Neb. – Avila softball picked up two quality road wins over York this afternoon, 10-1 and 5-4 in their 2025 KCAC opener.

In the first game of the day, the Avila offense put up multiple runs in four of the five innings and dominated from the first pitch.

The Eagles scored two in the first inning when Julia Douglass smacked an RBI triple and Myra Megli scored Douglass two batters later.

Douglass added two more RBI in the second two batters after Emily Branson scored Maya Richards on a run-scoring single.

Emily Collins and Ka'Zem Wood each scored a run in the third. Avila would add three more in the fifth and final inning of game number one.

The first four Avila batters in the fifth reached base, with Cerina Natal putting up an RBI single. The next batter, Branson, notched her second RBI of the day to score Natal.

Avila pitching only allowed four hits on the day and got 4.2 quality innings from McKayla Cotton.

The second game of the doubleheader was a much closer game.

York put up two in the opening frame, but Avila would answer back with a run each in the second and third, scoring on a wild pitch and throwing error, respectively.

The Avila bats would put up two more in the fourth on RBI hits from Stephanie Hayes and Douglass – her fourth RBI of the day.

Through four, Avila held a 4-2 lead.

In the sixth, Hayes would belt another RBI double to give Avila its fifth run before York made a valiant comeback attempt in the bottom of the inning.

The Panthers would score two in the bottom half of the sixth, but Cotton would strike out York's No. 6 hitter with the tying run at second base.

In the two games today, McKayla Cotton pitched 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just three hits. 

Avila will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Saint Mary for a doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.

(photo credit: Tim Hackett)