SOFTBALL GOES 1-1 IN OPENING ROUND OF KCAC TOURNAMENT, BACK IN ACTION ON THURSDAY

BRANSON, Mo. – Making the trek to Branson and dealing with weather for the opening day of the 2025 KCAC Tournament, Avila softball picked up a win over Sterling in round one before falling in the second round to Sterling as the team now heads to the elimination bracket on Thursday.

In the tournament opener, Avila took on Sterling – a team they had lost to twice in the regular season. A low-scoring affair played out between the two teams, with just nine combined hits in the seven innings.

As the higher seed, Avila was the home team versus Sterling. Shut-down pitching from McKayla Cotton held Sterling to just four baserunners in the first six innings – with no runner advancing past second base.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the third inning thanks to a Ka'Zem Wood RBI single to right center, scoring Laila Rueda for the first run of the game. Avila would add another run in the fourth inning off the bat of All-KCAC Second Team third baseman Stephanie Hayes, who smacked a solo home run to center to give Avila a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, Wood led off with a triple and two batters later, Hayes picked up her second RBI on a bunt to bring Wood home.

Needing just three outs to pick up the win, Avila held a 3-0 lead. But Sterling would mount a comeback in the seventh.

The Warriors put two runners on the basepaths via a single and error and both runners would come around to score on a two-run double.

Walking a tightrope, McKayla Cotton would get the final two outs on a groundout and a flyout to secure a 3-2 opening-round victory for Avila and the team's 30^th victory on the season.

Next up for the Eagles was a meeting with the second-seeded Evangel Valor.

Slightly more offense came in the second game of the day with Avila attempting a comeback late in the game.

Avila had its first scoring opportunity in the second with two outs as Cotton was thrown out at home attempting to score on a Julia Douglass single. Evangel would make Avila pay for its baserunning mistake.

In the bottom of the second, the Valor got on the scoreboard first on a sacrifice bunt.

Trailing 1-0, Cotton would make up for her second-inning mistake by plating conference Freshman of the Year Abi Beaman on an RBI single to tie the game at one.

Evangel answered back immediately, going up 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double.

In the top of the fifth, Avila would tie the game up once again thanks Laila Rueda. The sophomore speedster got on base after a dropped third strike and promptly stole second base. She would then steal third and come around to score on a throwing error by the Valor catcher.

As was the case in the previous inning, Evangel answered back immediately.

The Valor scored twice in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to hold a 4-2 lead.

Evangel put up another run in the sixth on their second RBI double of the day as Avila trailed by three entering their final three outs.

Wood tried to get the Eagles back in the game with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but that was all the offense the Avila bats would muster as the team fell to Evangel, 5-3. 

Avila now heads to the losers bracket of the KCAC Tournament and will face the winner of No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan and No. 8 Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday at 12 PM in an elimination game.

(photo credit: Ali Nassir)