The Basics

Game 1: #1 Evangel 8, #3 Friends 1 | Box Score

Game 2: #1 Evangel 1, #3 Friends 0 (12 inn.) | Box Score

Record: Evangel (36-8), Friends (34-17)

Location: Great Bend, Kan. (Great Bend Sports Complex)

GREAT BEND, Kan. – Valor Softball wrapped up the KCAC conference tournament on Friday (May 3rd) afternoon, taking on the Friends Falcons in the conference championship game, needing a pair of wins to take the tournament championship.

Evangel earned the win in game one, behind a strong complete game outing from Ashland Diggs where she allowed just two hits, and a big sixth inning of offense to take an 8-1 win and force a winner take all championship matchup. Game two proved to be a true championship matchup, as extras were needed to decide a conference tournament champion. The 12-inning pitching duel proved to be a thriller as the Valor were able to pull off the victory, scoring Autumn Nold on a Kenna Mayfield bunt to give Evangel the conference tournament title, alongside their conference regular season title.

NOTABLE

• Ashland Diggs pitched an exceptional game in the first matchup of the day, forcing a winner take all championship match in game two, as Diggs earned her 11th win of the season in the circle.

• Madi Bentley started the championship matchup and pitched very well for the Valor, pitching five innings and allowing just three hits.

• Maddy Meierer pitched in "relief" in game two, as she threw seven innings of the 12-inning game, earning the win in the circle, striking out seven batters en route to her 16th win of the season.

• Ellie Facklam and Kenna Mayfield both finished with four combined hits on Friday, leading the Valor from the plate.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ellie Facklam hit a double in the first inning of game one to be the first runner in scoring position in the afternoon. A Karlie Romines double drove Facklam home, giving the Valor a 1-0 lead.

• Strong pitching from both sides kept both teams from scoring any additional runs as it took til the top of the sixth inning for another run to be scored.

• In the top of the sixth, Evangel plated six runs to take a 7-0 lead. Megan Stone and Lauren Dill both singled and a Phoebe Gardner sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Danielle Cutbirth drove Stone in to score while a Naomi Perkins single scored both Dill and Cutbirth. Kenna Mayfield singled and stole second and an Annslee Leevirphan walk loaded the bases for EU. Ellie Facklam singled to right center field to score both Perkins and Mayfield and a throwing error on the catcher allowed Leeviraphan to score, making it a 7-0 Valor lead.

• Friends added a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 7-1 game, but a run by Evangel gave the Valor back a seven run lead. Reagan Jenkins entered as a pinch hitter and singled. Autumn Nold entered as a pinch runner and took second on a wild pitch. A Kenna Mayfield single scored Nold and made it 8-1, in favor of Evangel.

• Ashland Diggs closed out the game with a three up, three down inning to force the final game of the tournament, with the Valor looking to take the win.

• Game two proved to be the best game of the entire tournament. Both teams knew what was on the line and did not go down without a fight.

• The Valor did not get a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the third inning, but were unable to push the run across.

• Again in the bottom of the fourth, Evangel threatened, having both Ellie Facklam and Megan Stone in scoring position, but again, EU failed to push a run across.

• In the top of the seventh, Friends was able to get a runner to third base, but Maddy Meierer was able to get the batter to line out to Megan Stone at shortstop to keep the game scoreless.

• In the bottom of the seventh, Megan Stone was able to get to second base, but again, Evangel could not advance Stone passed the second bag, as Friends forced extra innings.

• Both teams were able to get runner to third base with a pair of outs in the eighth, but neither team scored a run, as both pitchers did an excellent job in the clutch.

• After both teams went three up, three down in the ninth inning, Friends was able to get a runner to third for what seemed like the hundredth time of the game for both teams. Meierer worked her way out of the jam, forcing a pop up to Lauren Dill at first base.

• Perhaps one of the biggest moments of the game, in the top of the 11th, Friends was able to get a pair of runners to second and third with just a single out. The Valor defense locked down though, getting help from an out on batters interference and a Maddy Meierer strike out swinging.

• Ellie Facklam doubled to left center field and was able to get over to third base in the bottom of the 11th inning, but again Evangel was unable to score a run as the Friends pitcher forced a groundout.

• The bottom of the twelfth proved to be the make or break inning as the Valor were able to get a lead off pinch hit single from Riley Johannes in a clutch at bat off the bench. Danielle Cutbirth reached base on an error and Johannes was able to make it all the way to third base with no outs, putting pressure on the Falcons.

• As she has done all year long, Kenna Mayfield was able to come through with a nice bunt and Autumn Nold displayed her speed, coming in from third and scoring to give Evangel the walkoff win in extra innings, 1-0, and the conference tournament title to pair alongside a conference regular season title.

UP NEXT

Valor Softball will await for the selection show on Tuesday (May 7) afternoon at 4:00 p.m. to find out where they will travel for the NAIA National Tournament. A watch party will be hosted on campus on Tuesday, with more information coming out tomorrow afternoon.

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