Softball team causes an upset at Baylor
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The Oklahoma Christian University softball team had nothing to lose as they went up against NCAA Division I Baylor on Monday. The Lady Eagles split with Baylor after losing their first game and shutting them out in the second.
“We were the underdog team,” junior Ashley Calles said. “We just came together after our first loss and said we don’t have much to lose, so let’s just give it our best shot and who knows, we might come out on top.”
Giving it their best shot resulted in a 4-0 shut out in their second game. The Lady Eagles, who lost the first game 9-1, dug deep to find motivation for the second challenge.
“The motivation came from the realization that we traveled down to Baylor and came such a long way as a team to show pride in OC and our softball program,” junior Caitlin Matthies said. “I wanted us to reflect that in our performance. No one expected us to win a game at Baylor and that’s exactly why I wanted to do it.”
Matthies pitched the scoreless game against the Lady Bears, holding them to ensure an Oklahoma Christian victory.
Additionally, she threw two strikeouts against the Lady Bears and only allowed five hits.
“To win against Baylor felt pretty awesome,” Matthies said. “Going into the fifth inning and knowing it was a no-hitter gave me some nerves, but at that point, I wanted to win the game so bad, and our defense was on top of their game. I felt encouraged by how hard the team was working behind me and at the plate.”
After scoring three runs in the fifth, there was a scoreless sixth before the Lady Eagles secured one more run.
The win against Baylor does not go without credit to the Lady Eagles’ hard work.
Hours of practice have been put in to ensure the women are at the top of their game.
“We are one of the hardest working teams in the conference,” junior Amy Urbanovsky said. “We had 6 a.m. practices the entire fall and beginning of the spring. When we aren’t playing, we’re practicing. A lot of the girls go to the barn to get extra hitting. If anything, we can say that nobody has out-worked us.”
Making the conference tournament remains the focus for Calles.
“We have already played our tough games in conference, so hopefully, we can just pull out some wins on the teams we are supposed to beat and that’ll get us in the conference tournament,” Calles said.
Calles is not the only one with high hopes for the team. Urbanovsky and Matthies speak of the same expectations.
“We have the talent and potential to beat each [upcoming team],” Matthies said. “We have overcome some adversity; learning how to play together with an entirely new infield. I’ve learned that regardless of any outcome the game may present, I trust that the outcome belongs to God, and I trust that he is in control.”
Adjusting to a whole new team can sometimes be a breaking point, but the Lady Eagles say they focus on positivity rather than negativity to overcome that problem.
“We have just learned to come together and when someone makes an error, we help pick them up,” Calles said. “We have really learned to come together and play as a team. I think we are at the top of our peak. Hopefully, we can stay there and just have fun playing the game.”
Other team members agree with Calles and feel like they are more than capable of finishing the season strong with an appearance in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.
The tournament will take place May 6-8.
With upcoming games against Rogers State and Southern Nazarene University, the Lady Eagles look to build upon their performance at Baylor.
The last time they faced Rogers State, they won 10-6 and 13-7 in a double header. They shared similar success against Southern Nazarene, winning 11-4 and 12-11.
This time last week, the Lady Eagles were 20-25 overall, and 9-17 in conference play. They face Rogers State University tomorrow in Claremore, Okla.
Photo by: Jeremy Gan
