MESQUITE, Texas – Benedictine Softball opened the season on Saturday with three games in the SCS NAIA Invitational against Your, Mid-America Christian, and (9) Oklahoma City University.
Benedictine earned wins of 24-0 over York and 8-2 over MACU before Oklahoma City beat them 8-5 in what proved to be the tournament finale as Mother Nature made competition on Sunday challenging.
Benedictine 24, York 0 - 5 Innings
A 10-run top of the first broke the game open for the Ravens en route to a season-opening win over the Panthers.
Benedictine finished with 18 hits, 8 of which were for extra bases in support of Bailey Selvage inside the circle. Selvage went the distance, scattering 2 hits over 5 innings with 6 strikeouts.
At the plate, Baylee Knorr and Ryan Cooper hit the first home runs of the season for the Ravens. Riley Kennedy and Abby Reynolds added a triple each while Kennedy, Sheffield, Clare Heitz, and Kara Willoughby finished with doubles. Kennedy (2), Knorr (3), Chloe Strickland, Natalie Sheffield (3), Heitz (3), Reynolds (2), Willoughby, Megan Forsman (2), Martin (2), and Cooper (3) were all credited with RBIs in the win.
Benedictine 8, MACU 2
Benedictine scored 8 unanswered after giving up 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to their second win of the season.
The Ravens finished with 13 hits, 5 for extra bases in support of Willoughby and Lacey Foster. Willoughby earned the win inside the circle, giving up 2 runs off 5 hits over 6 innings with 5 strikeouts. Foster threw the final inning, shutting out MACU with a strikeout.
Knorr, Willoughby, and Cooper each recorded home runs while Strickland and Sheffield added doubles. Knorr, Heitz Willoughby (2), and Cooper were all credited with RBIs.
Oklahoma City 8, Benedictine 5
A 4-run fifth inning proved to be the difference for the NAIA-ranked Stars as they held off multiple rallies by Benedictine to hand the Ravens their first loss of the season.
Pressgrove earned the start and threw the first two-thirds of an inning before giving way to Lily SinghDhillon entered for the next three and one-third innings. SinghDhillon gave up 4 runs off five hits with 3 strikeouts to suffer the loss after the Ravens rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Foster threw the final two and two-thirds innings, giving up a run off two hits.
Knorr and Alena Velilla recorded triples in the loss with Knorr, Strickland (2), and Velilla all recording RBIs.
Benedictine remains on the road for a series of games this coming weekend against Avila University, Tabor College, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, and Concordia (Neb.). The tournament location has changed and will now be played at the new Hometown Complex near The Legends in Kansas City, Kansas.
www.ravenathletics.com | #UnleashGreatness | www.benedictine.edu
