CHICKASHA, Okla.— The No. 19-ranked William Woods University softball team returns to the field on Friday night, as the team travels to Oklahoma for a four game series, which will start at 4 p.m. against University of Science of Arts, followed by a 6 p.m. against Mid-America Christian University.
The team will stay in Oklahoma for two more games on Saturday, as they will go toe-to-toe with (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene University at 10 a.m. and then will play Friends University at 12 p.m.
The Owls were originally slated to play a four game series in Owensboro, Kentucky, against Brescia University, but due to weather conditions, the games were cancelled.
WWU (1-1), returns to the diamond for the first time since February 7
th, when the team split its season opening series against Oklahoma Wesleyan University, as they won game one 8-6, but dropped the finale, 10-8.
On the season, the Owls are batting .298 as a team, while totaling 16 runs scored, four doubles, one triple and 13 RBI.
Catcher
Macy Wierschem holds the top batting average thus far, as the senior is hitting .750 (3-for-4), with one run scored and one RBI.
Sydnae Hatton and
Emily Murphy each swung the bat well to start the year, as they are both batting .429, while combining for two runs scored, two doubles, one triple and four RBI.
On the mound,
Allison Waskow went 1-1 in her collegiate debut, to go along with a 5.25 ERA in eight innings pitched, while totaling two strikeouts and two walks.
Bre Logan collected a 6.00 ERA and struck out three, while
Julie Scheer struck out one batter in 2.2 innings of work.
USAO (7-1), is off to a fast start to the 2015 season, as they have won seven out of eight games and are currently riding a five game winning streak. Four of those wins came at the Oklahoma Baptist Valentine Festival, as they defeated (RV) Central Baptist, Baker University, (RV) Columbia College and Oklahoma Wesleyan, by a combined 28-4.
On the season, the Drovers are batting .372 as a team and are led by Kayla Adams .550 average (11-for-20), while scoring seven runs and adding two doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.050.
Sevie Carel is second on the team in batting (.500), while totaling three runs scored, three RBI and an on-base percentage of .538. Shania Beck is hitting .440 through eight games, while also hitting two home runs and 10 RBI.
Other players the Owls pitching staff will have to keep an eye on include McKenna Eubank (.421 avg), Dani Warren (.414 avg) and Kaylin Taylor (.310 avg).
Pitching wise, USAO has a team ERA of 3.30 and are led by Summer Leitka, who is 6-0 with a 1.77 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched and has totaled 53 strikeouts, while only walking 14. Tate Landmark, meanwhile, owns a 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched, is 1-0 on the year and has totaled 12 strikeouts.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, William Woods will take on Mid-America Christian University (2-2), whom is coming off a doubleheader loss against Kansas Wesleyan University, as they fell 11-3 in game one and 7-2 in game two.
At the plate, the Lady Evangels are batting .337 and are led by Jackie Hilterbran, Taylor Green and Cassidy Hart, as the trio is batting .500 through four games, while combining for 10 runs scored and 11 RBI.
On the rubber, MACU has a team ERA of 3.50 in 22.0 innings pitched. Leading the way is Macie Crites with a 2.33 ERA in six innings pitched, while limiting opponents to a .143 batting average.
Kelcie Wolf is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA, while totaling seven strikeouts and having no walks in 7.2 innings of work on the rubber.
On Saturday at 10 a.m., the Owls will take on MidAmerica Nazarene (1-4), who is looking to snap its four game losing skid, after winning its season opener. Like the Owls, this will be the Pioneers first action on the field since February 7
th, when they fell to Western New Mexico, Lubbock Christian and Oklahoma Panhandle State University by a combined score of 28-6.
On the season, MNU is led by Macie Jones batting average of .500 (6-for-12) through five games. Hayley Gately is hitting .353, with two runs scored, one home run and a team-high seven RBI, while Alexis Pacheco is also batting .353, with a team-high six runs scored and two stolen bases.
Inside the circle, the team has had its struggles, as they own an 8.40 ERA in 30.0 innings pitched and have allowed 38 runs.
Taylor Pearcy owns the best ERA of 7.88 in 13.1 innings pitched, while striking out seven batters. Megan Schwindler, meanwhile, is 1-3 on the year in 16.2 innings of work and has totaled three strikeouts.
To close out the weekend series, the Owls will be taking on Friends University at 12 p.m. The Falcons (3-1), had its three game winning streak snapped against Langston University in its last time out, as they won game one 8-0 (5 innings), but fell in the finale, 16-9.
Offensively, Friends University is led by Khadijah Bland, as she is batting a team-high .538 (7-for-13), with three runs scored, three doubles and four RBI. Rachel Shockley and Laykyn Lindsay are each batting .500, while combining for 12 hits and seven runs scored.
Sarah Wilson, meanwhile, leads a group of pitchers, as she is 2-0 on the year with a perfect 0.00 ERA in 13.0 innings pitched. Wilson has also earned two complete games, two shutouts and totaled 17 strikeouts.
Brenna Westemeir holds a 6.46 ERA, while owning a 1-1 record on the year in 8.2 innings pitched and has a K/BB ratio of 12/2.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for a full recap and scores from Oklahoma.
