Lady Bison Dominate On Opening Day

A combined no-hitter and 25 runs in two games gave Oklahoma Baptist a pair of season-opening softball wins, including one against No. 18 Central Methodist.

OBU run-ruled Oklahoma Wesleyan 9-0 before routing CMU 16-5 Friday at Lady Bison Softball Park.

Chianelle Flores and Hannah Wilbur combined for a no-hitter, the Lady Bison had six home runs by six different hitters and hung a loss on a two-time All-America pitcher.

"That's a pretty big day," said OBU coach Pam Fink. "We've got a find a way to get a couple of these girls more at bats. We just have a lot of offensive threats. Chianelle and Hannah were phenomenal today as well."

Flores (1-0) went five innings of the six-inning run-rule shortened no-hitter against OWU. She collected four strikeouts and walked one batter and hit another. Wilbur tossed the final inning, striking out the side.

The Lady Bison scored twice in the first inning when Amanda Harmon tripled and scored on a bunt single by Audrey Branscum, followed by an RBI single by Kenna Self.

LeNae Sanchez homered in her first Lady Bison at-bat and Krystal Johnson produced an RBI fielder's choice for a two runs in the second.

Two more crossed in the fourth on a squeeze bunt by Johnson and an RBI single by Self.

The last three runs came across in the sixth when freshman Hannah Morris launched a three-run, pinch hit home run in her first college at bat.

The Lady Bison had 13 hits in the game, including four by Branscum and two each by Harmon and Self.

Noelle McDowell (1-0) went five innings for the win in the second game, allowing five runs, three earned, while collecting six strikeouts against No. 18 CMU.

Two-time All-American Aubrey Utley (0-1) allowed nine runs, five earned, in her five innings, surrendering 11 hits.

OBU scored twice in the third on a two-run double by Erin McLeod, but CMU answered with two in the bottom of the third on a throwing error.

The Lady Bison picked up two more in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Branscum.

The Eagles rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Melanie Wilmsmeyer and a two-run triple by Erika Reinagel.

OBU then poured on the last 12 runs.

The Lady Bison struck for three in the fifth on an RBI single by Sanchez and a two-run pinch-hit home run by freshman Kasey Maddox for a 7-5 lead.

Self added a two-run home run to chase Utley in the sixth. Dara Gray tacked on an RBI single, McDowell added an RBI double and freshman Shalee Cordell made it 12-5 with a run-scoring single.

OBU scored four more in the seventh on a two-run home run by Johnson and another two-run blast by Gray.

The Lady Bison had 17 hits in the contest, led by Self and McDowell with three each and two apiece by McLeod, Johnson and Gray.