Oilers Split on Opening Day in Tennessee
Smyrna, Tenn. – The University of Findlay softball team, coming off of the program's first NCAA DII Regional appearance last season, opened up the 2023 campaign on Friday, Feb. 17 in Smyrna, Tennessee at the Music City Invitational. The Oilers dropped the season-opener in walk-off fashion, losing 7-6 to the Missouri S&T Miners, but came back with an impressive 8-0 shutout of the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers.
Game 1 – Loss vs Missouri S&T (7-6)
Leadoff hitter Avery Shepherd (Jr.), a second team all-conference pick last season, got the season started with an infield single and ultimately came around to score thanks to a wild pitch, passed ball, and another wild pitch. Later in the inning, Caroline Turner (Sr.) drove in Jenna Poulson (Fr.) to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead.
Two more runs in the third inning came after Bailey Bates (Sr.) led off with a walk and scored on a fielder's choice by Olivia Carlton (Sr.). Carlton would come around to score on an error, scoring the fourth run of the game.
The Miners got one back in the bottom of the third and two more in the fifth to pull within one.
Turner walked to lead off the sixth and scored on a one-out single to center by Makayla Cowan (Sr.).
Two runs in the bottom of the sixth by S&T tied the game at 5-5.
Heading to the seventh, the Oilers surrendered two quick outs, but a walk by Alexys Antal (Fr.) kept the inning alive. The next batter, Olivia Carlton, was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple, but gave the Oilers a 6-5 lead with three outs remaining.
With two outs and a runner on second, Missouri S&T got the breaks they needed, picking up an infield single to the pitcher that was then thrown away. Two batters later, another single sent the winning run home.
Kayla Dykin (Fr.) suffered the loss in her first appearance at Findlay. She tossed 1.2 innings and allowed one earned run on two hits, three walks, and struck out five.
Game 2 – Win vs Wisconsin-Parkside (8-0) – 5 inn.
The second game started off in a similar manner as Avery Shepherd led off the game with a single up the middle. Carlton also singled and both runners scored on a hit by Emma Bode (Jr.), giving the Oilers a 2-0 lead.
That lead was extended in the second after Kaitlynn Briggs (Jr.) singled to right to lead off and was run for by Cassie Warner (So.). Warner stole second and later in the same at-bat, stole third. On the second steal, an overthrow allowed Warner to score.
Makayla Cowan walked to lead off the fourth inning and scored when the next batter, Annika Bredel (Fr.), tripled to right center, her first college hit and RBI.
The damage continued in the fifth when Findlay chalked up three more runs, all unearned, to end the game in an 8-0 run rule.
Shepherd, Carlton, Bredel, and Briggs all collected two hits on the day. Briggs, Bode, and Turner all led the way with two RBI.
Emma Jones (So.) picked up the win in the second game, tossing five innings and earning the shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk. She struck out four.
Findlay is back on the diamond tomorrow, Feb. 18 as they take on Davenport University and University of Purdue Northwest.