Eagles’ Unbeaten Streak Ends after Split with Sterling

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After Avila rallied to win game one in exciting fashion, Sterling (17-14, 5-6 KCAC) recovered to win game two on Saturday at The Z, finally dealing the (RV) Eagles (24-10, 11-1 KCAC) their first loss in conference play this season.

The defeat was Avila's first in league play (11-1) this season, first at home (9-1) this season, and snapped a nine-game winning streak dating back to March 17, Avila's first games back from their California trip. While the setback certainly stings, the Eagles knew it would be extremely difficult to stay undefeated in league play with many of the other best teams in the conference on tap over the next couple of weeks, while the Warriors, for their part, certainly looked the part of one of the better teams in the league by giving the Eagles a pair of tough games.

Even with Saturday's results included, Avila has earned the right to be called the KCAC's top team as everyone approaches the halfway point in what's now a 26-game conference schedule. Avila stands alone atop the conference standings at 11, a few games clear of Ottawa, Evangel and Oklahoma Wesleyan, all of whom are on tap over the next couple of weeks. Sterling would be eighth if the postseason started today after a couple of wins this week, but the Eagles are still the team to point nearly halfway through league play.

Interestingly, Saturday's first game was one of the quickest games Avila's played this season, lasting less than 90 minutes, while the second game was one of the longest, nearly two-and-a-half hours long, in a doubleheader that was as interesting as expected. The Eagles proved their skill and resolve in both games, rallying to score three runs in the sixth to earn the win in game one and scoring four runs late to make a run in game two, but Avila simply missed too many opportunities in the second game and were unable to dig out of an early hole.

Saturday's series opener was a true pitcher's duel for a long time between Eagle sophomore McKayla Cotton and Sterling senior Alyssa Mason. The Eagles made Mason's life tough when the Warriors played in Kansas City last season, but Mason was hyper efficient this time around and made it difficult for the Eagles to get any traction until the late innings. Cotton, meanwhile, was excellent yet again. She gave up two runs in the sixth but that was literally all the damage Sterling was able to do – and that was quite nearly enough to give the Warriors a win were it not for yet another late Eagle rally.

Ka'Zem Wood kicked off the fourth inning with a ground-rule double to right field and then scored the first run of the game from second base on a fly ball to deep left off the bat of Brooke Belflower. That was the only run either team scored through the front five innings, thanks to good pitching and defense from both sides, especially by both third baseman, Aiyana Campos and Katie Wentworth.

Sterling finally found its breakthrough off Cotton in the sixth. Mason led off with a walk, and Desaree Perales extended her excellent season with a two-run home run to straightaway center. The Warriors had their first lead, but it didn't last long at all. Chelsea Kurtz led off the home half with a slap single, and Wood followed with a bunt for a hit, setting the table for the big bats. Belflower tied the game with a double to left, and Stephanie Hayes followed with a two-run hit to left-center, and the Eagles were right back in front.

Cotton swiftly sent Sterling down in order in the seventh, punctuating her day with a pair of punchouts, and wrapping up a 4-2 win for the Eagles in the series opener. It was the eighth complete-game victory, and 11^th win overall, for the new Eagle ace, who scattered five hits and two runs over seven full with two walks against five strikeouts.

For the second year in a row, Mason and Allie Olivarria have pitched nearly every inning this season for Sterling. Mason usually is the game one starter but Olivarria has had the better season to date, and she was strong once again in Saturday's second game. Avila made her work much harder than Mason did, and she threw almost exactly twice as many pitches as Mason did, but the Eagles could not score an earned run off her until the seventh inning and by that time the Warrior offense had done more than enough to earn the win.

Both Olivarria and Eagle starter Madyson Withey were strong through two innings, but Sterling broke an early stalemate in a big way by plating five runs off six hits in the third inning. Olivarria shut the Eagles out through four, though Avila threatened every time, before Kennedee Lara helped the Eagles manufacture an unearned run in both the fifth and the sixth to pull back to within 5-2.

Chaunelle Penn had pitched well in relief to help Withey and the Eagles get through the third inning and into the later stages, but Sterling finally broke through against her in the seventh, with Madilynn Green delivering the big blow, a bases-clearing, three-run double, giving Sterling its largest lead, 9-2.

Jaka Sharp entered for her first pitching appearance at the varsity level and managed to get the Eagles through that frame with no further damage done, giving the Eagle offense a fighting chance in the last half inning. Avila was able to once again build an inning against Olivarria, and Cotton and Myra Megli drove in runs in the frame to chip into the deficit, but the hole was too deep to climb out of. Avila left a total of ten runners stranded on base in the game, and Sterling prevailed 9-4 to deal the Eagles their first loss in conference play this season.

The road only gets tougher in conference play now for the Eagles, who are now learning to deal with a bit of adversity for the first time in a while. Up next, it's the biggest doubleheader of the season so far: preseason league favorites Ottawa, the only nationally-ranked team in the conference at the moment, come to town this Wednesday, April 3, for a clash of KCAC title contenders. First pitch at The Z is scheduled for 2 PM; as always, you can watch all the action live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.