The Basics
Score: Baker 9, Evangel 2
Records: Evangel (29-17); Baker (19-12)
Location: Busse Field

Box Score

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Baker rallied from a fifth-inning deficit with eight unanswered runs over its final two turns at bat to hand Evangel a 9-2 setback in the two clubs' opening game of the 2021 Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Championship Thursday evening at Busse Field.

After erasing a 2-1 Evangel lead on a Lexi Lowrance two-out, RBI-double in the fifth, the Wildcats scored seven times in the home half of the sixth to pull away for the opening-round victory. Morgan Loggins' pinch-hit, run-scoring single in the sixth opened the floodgates for Baker, which sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning and capitalized on three EU errors to put the game on ice.

Makenzie Musgrove and Riley Zook added RBI-singles for BU, before three more runs crossed the plate as a result of Evangel defensive miscues.

Musgrove led the way for the Wildcats, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, and Skylar Gorrell tossed a complete-game for BU, striking out five and allowing just four hits.

Baker broke on top with a first-inning run after Musgrove singled off EU starter Abby Jo Emmitt with one out, sole second, then came all the way home on three successive two-out hit batsmen for a 1-0 Wildcat lead.

EU bounced back in the fourth, as Kaydran Russell drew a free pass after being hit by a pitch, and Ali Raley coaxed a walk from Gorrell to set the table. Kami Holt cleared it, driving a stand-up triple to deep right field to chase home both baserunners and give EU the 2-1 advantage.

After her shaky beginning to the night, Emmitt settled into a groove to keep BU hitless until the fifth, when Lowrance doubled to deep center field to bring in the equalizing run, after the first of EU's four late errors extended the inning.

Baker put its first seven batters aboard to start the sixth, ultimately chasing Emmitt (15-6) from the game after the junior right-hander struck out six over her 5.0 innings of work.

Up Next
Evangel will take on Culver-Stockton in a 9:30 a.m. elimination game Friday (May 7), with the winner advancing to a 7:30 p.m. contest against the loser of the Baker-Central Methodist matchup.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the new Evangel Athletics Gameday App through Google Play.  

—EvangelAthletics.com—