OTTAWA, Kan. – The Ottawa University softball team split its season opening double header with Hastings College on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park. OU fell in game one, 8-3, but took game two, 12-5, in five innings. Game two ended early due to darkness. The game two win was head coach Maile Deutsch's first collegiate coaching victory.

Game One
Hastings struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning to take the early lead. Ottawa answered in the bottom of the first.

Macy Roever led off with a walk, swiped second, and then moved to third on a ground out by Addison Spencer. Ottawa cut into the Bronco lead with a single to center by Alex Genty. Katie Enneking's double to left moved Genty to third. Emma Melvin scored both Enneking and Genty with a single to right and the Braves led 3-2.

The Broncos were able to tie the game with a run in the top of the second and retake the lead with a run in the top of the third, 4-3.

That is where the score stayed until the top of the seventh. Hastings pushed four runs across home plate to take an 8-3 lead over the Braves. Ottawa was not able to rally in the bottom of the seventh and Hastings took the 8-3 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Alex Genty was 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored and an RBI.
• Emma Melvin led OU with two RBI.
• Lanie Becker pitched 6.1 innings in the loss.
• Julia Waltman and Sara Smith pitched the seventh for the Braves.

Game Two
After a scoreless first inning, Ottawa took the lead in the bottom of the second. Emma Melvin and Elizabeth Palmer walked. A triple to right by Megan Kennedy scored both Melvin and Palmer to give OU a 2-0 lead. Macy Rover followed that with a walk. She then stole second and OU had two runners in scoring position. Kara Hafenstine's single to center scored Kennedy and Roever, increasing the Brave lead to 4-0.

Hastings cut into the Brave lead with a run in the top of the third, 4-1. Ottawa responded with eight runs in the bottom of the third.

OU had four hits and took advantage of two Bronco miscues in the inning to take a 12-1 lead. Hastings cut into the Brave lead with two runs in the top of the fourth and two in the top of the fifth to get within 12-5 of the Braves. The game was called after Hastings' at bat in the top of the fifth due to darkness and Ottawa took a 12-5 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Kara Hafenstine led the Braves with two hits in two at bats. She drove in three runs and scored one.
• Megan Kennedy, Katie Enneking, and Addison Spencer had two RBI apiece.
• Cesara Roque earned her first victory of the season, striking out four in five innings.

Who is Next
Ottawa (1-1) returns to the diamond on Wednesday, February 5 against Haskell Indian Nations University. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.