Panthers sweep Oklahoma Baptist in two thrillers

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drury Panthers swept a doubleheader from Oklahoma Baptist, winning a 1-0 pitching duel in the first game, then getting two runs in the bottom of the ninth to in the game two 3-2 on Wednesday at Thompson Field in Springfield.
 
Drury evened their record to 12-12, while Oklahoma Baptist fell to 22-8.
 
Game one featured two of the top pitchers in NCAA-II as the Panthers started Kristina Bettis, an All-American last year, against Bison starter Kayleigh Jones, who entered the game 15-3 with a 0.60 earned run average and was a National Pitcher of the Week winner earlier this season.
 
Neither hurler disappointed as Drury scratched out the game’s only run in the third inning. Sophia Luetticke singled and stole second base. With two outs in the frame, Reagan Hight hit a sharp grounder to first base that hit the bag allowing Luetticke to score.
 
Leading 1-0, Bettis (7-6) shut down Oklahoma Baptist the rest of the way, retiring the final 15 batters she faced pitching a perfect game from the third inning through the seventh. She allowed only two hits, both singles, walked two and struck out six.
 
Jones took the loss to fall to 15-4.
 
Luetticke went 3 for 3 with a run and a stolen base in the game.
 
Drury needed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the second game and complete the sweep.
 
Oklahoma Baptist took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, but the Panthers answered with a run in the fifth on an RBI-single by Megan Mullaney.
 
The game went into extras tied at 1-1, then the Bison seized the lead in the ninth on a double by Samantha Campos.
 
The Panthers led off the bottom of the ninth with a double from Luetticke. Mullaney followed with a single, then stole second to put runners on second and third with one out. OBU’s Kayleigh Jones (15-5), having pitched a complete-game earlier in the day, came out of bullpen during the seventh inning of game two. She got back-to-back strikeouts after allowing the two hits and had her team one out away from a win, but Megan Parsley smacked a double to deep right field that scored Luettick and Mullaney to win the game. 
 
Bailee Nixon (3-1) got the win in relief for Drury. Panthers starter Lindsay Henson did not figure in the decision but went 7.1 innings allowing 5 hits and one unearned with one walk and strikeouts.
 
Mullaney was 2 for 3 at the plate with a run and two stolen bases, while Camryn BeDell went 3 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
 
Game two was Drury’s first extra-inning game this year and the first contest they’ve won in their last at-bat this season.
 
The Panthers open their Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule on Saturday when they host William Jewell for a doubleheader starting at noon at Thompson Field in Springfield.
 
 
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