Salina, Kan. – The fifth-seeded Friends University Falcons went 1-1 in the first day of the KCAC postseason tournament, defeating the fourth-seeded Avila University Eagles 2-1 before falling 1-0 to top-seeded and the No. 14-ranked Evangel University Valor today (Apr. 29) in Salina, Kan.
The Falcons got all the runs they needed in the fifth inning, with Keara Cunningham doubling home Peyton Ganger and Cambell Riordan hitting an RBI single to score Madison Nightengale for a 2-0 lead.
Avila got on the board with a single from Madison Kelly in the bottom of the seventh, but Jenna Ormiston got a groundout to third to strand the tying run at first and preserve the Falcon victory.
Friends was held to just three hits off McKayla Cotton, but two of them were timely run-scoring hits from Cunningham and Riordan in the fifth.
Ormiston was solid throughout her seven innings in the circle, holding the Eagles to just one run with two strikeouts and no walks in earning her 14th victory of the season.
Abi Beaman went 2-of-3 and scored the Eagles' only run.
The second game played out in similar fashion, but with drastically different results, as it was the Valor scoring the only run they'd need on a solo homer by Lauren Dill in the bottom of the sixth.
Maddy Meierer then worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh to close out the Evangel win and pick up the save.
Ormiston was again effective in the circle for the Falcons, giving up only the solo homer to Dill in six innings of work with one strikeout while again walking none.
Madi Bentley started for Evangel and gave up just one hit but did walk five batters with four strikeouts.
The Falcons will now play an elimination game tomorrow (Apr. 30) vs. seventh-seeded Tabor College at 11 am.
