BIG OFFENSIVE DAY POWERS SOFTBALL TO TWO WINS OVER TABOR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A nine-run sixth inning in the first game and a walk-off single in the second gave Avila softball two victories on Saturday over Tabor to extend their winning streak to seven.

In game number one, Avila saved all of its offense for their final at bats.

A quick-moving and low-scoring first five innings saw only one run: a Tabor fourth-inning home run over the left field wall.

The visiting Bluejays added another in the sixth on an RBI infield single.

Avila trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the sixth and that's when the floodgates opened.

The Eagles put up nine runs in the sixth inning as 14 batters came to the plate and eight different players scored a run.

Emily Branson and Maya Richards set the table with a single and a walk to open the inning and Savannah Salgado moved them over with a sacrifice bunt.

Julia Douglass would then reach base on an error to load the bases.

Four batters, one out, bases loaded.

Stepping up next was Stephanie Hayes, who opened the Avila scoring with an RBI single up the middle to score Branson. Following Hayes' RBI, Myra Megli was hit by a pitch to force in a run.

2-2 game.

A Tabor pitching change would not do much for the visitors as Avila would draw back-to-back bases-loaded walks to give the team a 4-2 lead.

Tabor would bring in another pitcher to face Kennedee Lara, who would smash a double to center field to bring two more runs across the plate.

6-2 Avila.

Having now batted around, Branson returned to the plate with two runners on. The sophomore from Bloomington, Ill., would bring Abi Beaman around to score Avila's seventh run of the inning on a sac fly.

Avila would end the inning with RBI singles each from Richards and Jaka Sharp to put a cap on the nine-run sixth.

In the seventh, Aarilynn Richardson would come on in relief of McKayla Cotton in the circle, who pitched six stellar innings, allowing just two runs on five hits.

Richardson would hold on to the 9-2 lead and secure the win before game number two.

More late-inning comebacks would await the Eagles in the second game.

Tabor opened the scoring with a run in the third and two more in the fourth before Avila's bats woke up.

An hour after wrapping up a stellar pitching performance in the first game, Cotton would begin the scoring for Avila in the second with an RBI double in the fourth. Two batters later, Salgado would put another run up with a sac fly to bring the Eagles to within one.

Avila would tie the game in the fifth on another RBI from Hayes – her second of the day.

In the sixth, Avila's offense seemed to put the game away off the bat of Maya Richards who smacked a two-RBI triple to left field, her second three-bagger of the afternoon.

Going into the seventh, Avila held a 5-3 lead.

With their backs against the wall, Tabor's offense would get three runs in the seventh on just three hits to give the Bluejays a brief 6-5 lead.

As has been the case all week, Avila's offense stayed hot and came through following the deficit.

Hayes started off the seventh with a double to right center and would advance to third on a passed ball.

With one out, Ka'Zem Wood scored Hayes to tie the game on a single up the middle.

A pitching change set the table for Cotton to blast a double to left field to put two runners in scoring position with the game tied.

A Jaka Sharp walk would load the bases and set Savannah Salgado up to be the hero.

Salgado would come through for the Eagles on a walk-off single down the left field line to score Wood and give the Eagles a 7-6 win, a doubleheader sweep and a seven-game winning streak.

Cotton, the reigning KCAC Pitcher of the Week, finished her day with six strong innings in the circle while also reaching base four times, scoring a run and recording an RBI.

Maya Richards wrapped up her day going 5-5 with three runs scored and three RBI.

Avila is back at The Z on Tuesday versus Southwestern. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 PM.

(photo credit: Dejohn Bailey)