MESQUITE, Texas – The Tabor College Softball team traveled down to Mesquite, Texas to compete in the SCS NAIA Invitational which was supposed to take place Friday-Sunday but ended up being shortened due to inclement weather. The Lady Bluejays played two games on Friday with the first being against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, and the second being against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. 
 
The Bluejays took on the Drovers of Science and Arts in the first game on Friday. The game proved to a pitcher's duel, which is rare to see in a softball game, but neither side seemed to budge, and the game was forced into extra innings and ultimately ended in the eighth inning with the Drovers winning 2-1. Darcy Gillen recorded the only hit as well as the only run for the Bluejays while Marisa Carranza recorded the first loss of her Bluejay career after giving up four hits and two runs. 
 
Game two would see the Lady Bluejays take on the Aggies of Oklahoma Panhandle State in a drastic contrast from the game prior. The Bluejays would record 12 hits while giving up nine. All nine offensive players recorded at least one hit and six players scored at least one run: Cheyenne Washington (2), Dessa Zavala (2), Jordyn Farren (1), Darcy Gillen (1), Laura Savage (1), and Payten Staley (1). Annabelle Buchanan recorded her first win as a Bluejay after giving up nine hits and five runs.
 
Head Coach Jeff Brewer had this to say about the weekend, "We opened the '24 season with two very good teams. We dropped the first one against USAO, 2-1 in extra innings and won game two against OPSU, 8-5. Marisa Carranza and Annabelle Buchanan both competed well in the circle. On the day, we played solid defense and pitched well. We fought for our at-bats, but it was still a good day. It's still early and there are a lot of games left on the schedule and I feel like we did a ton of things right, but we have a whole new list of things to work on to continue moving forward. I am a big fan of this group and the way they work together; they are an awesome group of young ladies."
 
Bluejay Softball will be back in action this coming Thursday, February 15^th, at the NAIA Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. Tabor will take on Mayville State University in the first game on Thursday at 12pm and will take on MidAmerica Nazarene University in the second game of the day, at 2pm.
 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.

Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).