HOT SPRINGS- Ouachita Baptist improved to 10-1 on the season after sweeping a pair of games on the opening day of the 2010 Spa City Softball Classic in Hot Springs, Ark. on Saturday. The Lady Tigers never trailed in defeating Missouri-St. Louis, 9-4, while battling back in the final inning to overcome No. 8 Missouri Western, 4-3. The victories also stretched the current win streak to 10 games.
Ouachita (10-1) used a combined 5-for-8 performance from senior Haley Chambers and junior Kristen Rigsbee in defeating Missouri-St. Louis (4-2) in Game 1. The Lady Tigers looked to be cruising to a 2-0 victory over No. 8 Missouri Western, before the Lady Griffons scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead. Ouachita Baptist battled back with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh to take the victory over the first ranked opponent of the season.
Game 1: Ouachita Baptist 9, Missouri-St. Louis 4
Rigsbee led off the second inning with a double, scoring three batters later after a single from freshman pitcher Kayci Wilson to give Ouachita an early 1-0 lead. After Missouri-St. Louis answered back with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, the Lady Tigers took back the lead with a solo home run of their own from Rigsbee (2).
An error against Ouachita allowed two runners to score in the fifth, giving Missouri Western a 3-2 lead. Ouachita didn’t waste any time, however, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 6-3 lead. Freshman Megan Askew and junior Sarah Bell led off the inning with singles, followed by a three-run home run from Chambers, her third homer of the season.
Missouri-St. Louis plated a single run in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 6-4, but Ouachita Baptist answered back yet again with three runs, aided by an error and RBI singles from Chambers and Rigsbee. Freshman Bailey Sanders also added a double in the four-hit inning.
Freshman Kayci Wilson (4-0) went the distance for the victory, allowing a pair of earned runs on six hits. Chambers recorded a season-high 4 RBI on a 2-for-4 afternoon at the plate. Rigsbee finished at 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and two runs scored. Bell and sophomore Taylor Austin each finished at 2-for-4 at the plate for Ouachita.
Stephanie Benson (0-1) took the loss for Missouri-St. Louis in going two innings and allowing four earned runs.
Game 2: Ouachita Baptist 4, No. 8 Missouri Western, 3
Ouachita Baptist broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, as sophomore Jana Deen scored after a single and pair of wild pitches brought in the shortstop for a 1-0 lead. Senior Haley Chambers stretched the lead to 2-0, two batters later with a solo home run.
Missouri Western answered with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, taking a 3-2 lead after three base hits and a walk gave the Lady Griffons the lead heading into the final at-bat.
With one out and the bases open, junior Whitley Hoppe recorded a single, followed by a walk from Askew. Hoppe scored a batter later on a passed ball, tying the game at 3-3. After a single from Deen, junior Sarah Bell provided the game-winning hit, scoring Askew to give Ouachita a thrilling 4-3 victory to keep the 10-game winning streak alive.
Rigsbee (5-1) went the distance for her fifth complete game victory of the season, allowing three earned runs on four hits. The junior also struck out six batters and walked just one. Deen led Ouachita at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort. Ouachita finished the game with six hits as a team.
Ouachita Baptist returns to Hot Springs for Day 2 of the 2010 Spa City Softball Classic, as the Lady Tigers take on Texas A&M-Kingsville at 11 a.m., followed by a match up with Southwestern Oklahoma at 3 p.m.
