After splitting the opening day of the 2018 NCCAA Mideast Regional Tournament, defeating Alice Lloyd Colege, then losing to Belhaven University, the Mighty Oaks softball team needed three straight wins to take the region title.
A rematch of the tournament's opening game finished with the Oaks scoring the game's final nine runs, as OCU came from behind to defeat the Eagles of Alice Lloyd College (Pippa Passes, KY) 12-4. Caitlin Huff went 2-3 at the plate with a walk and a homerun, her first of the year, scoring twice, with two runs batted in. Lauren Stone was 2-2, with a walk and a double, and scored twice. Lexi Newcom went 2-3, with a double and a walk, four RBI and a run scored, while Whitney Jeffers was 1-2 at the dish with a walk, scored and drove in a run, while pitching two innings, allowing four runs, all earned, with three strikeouts. Valerie Lewis picked up with pitching victory, throwing three innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeoues.
The win moved the Oaks into the championship round, where they needed to beat the Blazers of Belhaven University (Jackson, MS) twice to take the double-elimination tournament title. After falling behind 4-0 after three innings, and 5-1 after four, OCU plated four runs in the fifth, taking a 6-5 lead. The Blazers scored in the bottom of the fifth, and the Oaks responded with two in the top of the sixth, giving OCU the win, 7-6.
Lewis went a perfect 4-4 at the plate, with a double, two RBI, and a run scored. Stone was 3-4, with a double and an RBI, while Huff went 2-4, with a double and two RBIs. Newcom was also 2-4, with two runs scored, while Lauren Morton went 2-3 with a walk. Bre Scheberle had one hit, a double, in four tries, with a runs scored and another batted in. Jeffers was 1-4 at the plate, with an RBI, while pitching a complete game, allowing six runs, three earned, on 10 hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.
The win by Oakland City forced a winner-take-all game between the Blazers and the Oaks, with the victor claiming the automatic berth in the NCCAA National Tournament, held in Roanoke, Virginia.
After giving up three runs in the first three innings, OCU responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third to even the game at 3-3. Belhaven responded with a three-run top of the fourth innings, followed by two OCU runs in the bottom half, and one more in the fifth to again level the score at 6-6. The Blazers again fought back, plating four runs in the top half of the sixth inning, and the Oaks were unable to respond, as six of the final seven OCU batters were retired.
Newcom was 2-3, with a double and a walk, three runs batted in, and a run scored, while Lewis was 2-3, with a walk and an RBI. Stone was also 2-3, scoring a run, while Reagan Hensley went 1-3, with a walk and two runs scored. Huff doubled off the wall in the final inning, going 1-3, while Anna Orsburn had a double and a run scored, going 1-3 as well. Scheberle also was 1-3, and reachd on a hit by pitch. Jeffers had an RBI, while pitching five and a third innings, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on 15 hits and one strikeout, while Lewis threw the final inning and two-thirds, giving up one hit.
The Mighty Oaks will now have to wait until regional play has completed to find out if they are given at at-large selection to compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament. OCU holds a record of 18-13, and is ranked 10th in the NCCAA Division 1.
