OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Missouri Baptist University softball lost a winner-take-all contest in eight innings to Oklahoma City University to end the NAIA National Tournament run on Thursday.
With a trip to the NAIA World Series on the line, the Spartans overcame an early 2-0 deficit with a three-run second inning but surrendered one in the sixth and one in the eighth to fall with a 4-3 final
MBU repeated as the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Regular Season Champions in 2025 before claiming the first AMC Tournament Championship in program history. They end the season with a 46-8 overall record.
Oklahoma City Recap
The AMC Pitcher of the Year,
Taylor Whitehead, got the ball for the Spartans but found early trouble. Illiana Ashford hit a solo home run in the second at-bat of the game, and Carlee Mollet doubled the lead with an RBI single to center in the top of the second.
MBU responded in the bottom half of the second with three runs on five hits.
Allison Leigraf got a rally started with a one-out single,
Makayla Johnson doubled, and
Camryn Kessler drove in the runner from third with a single.
Emily Wright loaded the bases on an infield knock ahead of a sacrifice fly from
Jenna Achs and a go-ahead RBI double from
Jacie Dees.
Whitehead coasted through the third and fourth innings and worked around a leadoff single in the fifth. In the sixth, however, Analise Rayburn sent out a game-tying home run to left field that eventually forced extra innings.
Another leadoff home run in the eighth, this time from Tara Hoehner, pushed OCU out in front 4-3.
Kessler led off the bottom half with a walk but was forced out at second on an Achs fielder's choice. Achs, acting as the tying run, stole second to get into scoring position with two outs, but the OCU starter Emersen Heron completed the game with a pop out to shortstop.
In total, Whitehead tossed eight innings and gave up six hits, four earned, three walks, and struck out two.
Winning Pitcher: Emersen Heron (23-5)
Losing Pitcher: Taylor Whitehead (21-3)
Batting Leaders
Makayla Johnson: 2-for-4, 2B, R
Camryn Kessler: 1-for-3 RBI, R
Jenna Achs: 1-for-4 RBI
Jacie Dees: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Records:
No. 16 Missouri Baptist: 46-8
No. 7 Oklahoma City: 49-9
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