The Braves are on a three game winning streak after sweeping Kansas Wesleyan University 2-1 in nine innings in game one and 8-0 in six innings in game two on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Park. The victories put OU within a game of first place Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
Ottawa is 26-11-1 overall and 16-4 in the KCAC. The Braves are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Softball Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Braves are 10-7 in road games this season.
In the two games against Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday, Ottawa hit .216, scored 10 runs, hit a double and a home run, drove in eight runs, ad a .294 slugging percentage, walked seven times, was hit by a pitch once, struck out 11 times, had a .311 on base percentage, and stole eight bases. OU's pitching staff had a 4.00 ERA in 15 innings, striking out 11. Kansas Wesleyan hit .115 against the Braves.
Through 38 games, Ottawa has scored 227 runs and hit 31 home runs. OU has a .295 batting average, a .377 on base percentage, and a .460 slugging percentage.
OU is ranked 45th in the NAIA in runs (227), 46th in triples (11), 15th in home runs (31), 43rd in RBI (204), 44th in walks (112), 29th in sacrifice flies (13), 46th in sacrifice hits (30), 24th in ERA (2.23), 13th in shut outs (13), and 11th in opponent batting average (.208).
Justyse Rodriguez leads the Braves in batting average (.378),
Madison Bunfill is OU's leader in RBI (33), and
Casson Rasmussen is the Braves leader in ERA (2.06) and strike outs (102).
Casson Rasmussen became the second OU softball player to earn 100 strike outs in a season. The first was Gabby Markham. She had two seasons with 100 or more strike outs. Markham had 166 in 2016 and 148 in 2014.
Ottawa has a record of 18-0 against Bethel College. OU won both games of the double header last season at Alumni Park on April 24. OU took game one, 8-0 in six innings and game two, 6-1. The Braves are 8-0 against the Threshers in North Newton but have not played on the road against the Threshers since April 12, 2016.
Bethel College is 9-29 overall and in 12th place in the KCAC with a record of 3-17. The Threshers are on a 10 game losing streak and are 4-12 at home this season. Bethel's last win came on April 2 in game two against Friends University. BC won the game 2-1.
The Threshers are ranked 49th in the NAIA in doubles (62).
Lauren Hurd leads Bethel in batting average (.374), Taylor Sanfillippo is BC's leader in RBI (24), Gracie Higgins is the team's leader in ERA (5.02), and Reagan Robinson is the Threshers' leader in strike outs (48).
