ABILENE, Texas – In a contest that was delayed 24 hours due to inclement weather in the area, fifth-seeded Ozarks captured the program’s first ever SCAC Softball Tournament win with a 5-0 shutout victory over host and fourth-seeded McMurry at Edwards Field. Official Website | Bracket | Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview
After weather moved through the area the opening day of the SCAC Championship was moved to Saturday, pushing the Championship into Monday.
Junior Bailee Cowell led the way for the Eagles, tossing a complete game shutout with five strikeouts and helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Ozarks struck first in the opening inning, as first-year Kendall Lynch drove in her sixth run of the season, scoring Kamryn Uher.
- The Eagles extended their lead in the third, scoring three runs to make it 4-0. Isabella Hulsey drove in her team leading 35th run of the season, scoring Uher for the second time on the afternoon. Lynch followed with a two RBI single, giving her a career-high three on the day, scoring Hulsey and Cowell.
- Emma Reynolds capped off the scoring for the Eagles, slugging her first home run of the season to deliver a five-run lead going into the bottom half of the fifth inning.
- Cowell delivered the complete game performance, allowing just one hit over the final three innings, leaving three runners on base to give Ozarks its first SCAC Tournament win in program history.
UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Kamryn Uher: 2-4, 2 runs
- Kendall Lynch: 2-3, 3 RBI
- Isabella Hulsey: 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Emma Reynolds: 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 SB
- Bailee Cowell: 2-4, 1 Run, 7.0 IP, 5 Ks
MCMURRY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Reaghan Staehely: 2-3
- Samantha Gonzalea: 1-3
- Sophia Garza: 4.2 IP, 2 Ks, 1 ER
NOTABLES
- The game marked the first meeting between the two programs in SCAC Tournament history.
- Ozarks improves to 22-19 on the season, while McMurry falls to 16-20-1.
- This marked the first opening game shutout in the Tournament since 2023 and is the eighth in tournament history.
UP NEXT
The Eagles move on to face top-seeded Texas Lutheran University at 4:00 PM CT. Meanwhile, the War Hawks will move into an elimination game against the loser of game 4 at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.
