SHAWNEE, Okla. – Kaitlyn Maaske and Vivian Little delivered top notch pitching performances as the Hope International softball team prevailed in a pair of games at the NAIA Softball Invitational on Saturday. The Royals defeated No. 25 Evangel 3-1 and Mid-America Christian 10-2 in six innings at the Firelake Ball Fields.

Maaske nearly went the distance against Evangel in picking up her sixth win of the season. The Royals offense exploded for 16 hits against Mid-America Christian and Little went the distance for her fifth victory.

Game 1 – No. 21 Hope International 3, No. 25 Evangel 1

The Royals scored a run in the first and two more in the second to account for all of the offense they needed.

Chey Navarro's RBI groundout scored Little in the first for the 1-0 HIU lead. The Royals had runners at the corners in the second when Natalie Corrales dumped a single down the right field line to score Amanda Esquivel. Little laced a single through the right side to score Corrales as the Royals led 3-0.

Maaske emerged unscathed in the second after allowing a leadoff triple to Audrey Carlton. Karlie Bilbrey fielded Camryn Casey's ground ball and fired home to nab Carlton at the plate.

Evangel scored a run in the third on two singles and a pair of walks. Lauren Dill's based loaded walk plated Natalie Morgan as the Valor cut the deficit to 3-1.

Maaske retired seven straight and Evangel did not have another baserunner until a one-out error in the sixth. The Royals threw out a runner attempting to steal second to end that frame.

Samantha Elizalde entered for Maaske with one out in the seventh and walked two batters before striking out Carlton for out two. Maaske reentered and fanned Casey looking to end the game.

Game 2 – No. 21 Hope International 10, Mid-America Christian 2

The Royals utilized a pair of five-run innings to subdue Mid-America Christian in six innings.

Nyssa Dunn kept the Royals off the board until the fourth when HIU erupted with four straight extra base hits. Gabriela Holmes led off with a triple and Esquivel roped a two-run homer. Bilbrey and Jocelyn Aguilar followed with back-to-back doubles to chase Dunn in favor of Gia Reynosa.

After Aguilar advanced to third on a wild pitch, Lily Hernandez got her home as the Evangel shortstop's throwing error allowed the Royals to go up 4-1. Emma McCraw's single scored Hernandez for the second unearned run of the inning as the second baseman made a throwing error.

Little allowed one run in the second and one in the fifth, throwing a solid 6.0 innings with six hits allowed. She walked two and struck out three.

The Royals ended the game by mercy rule with a five-run sixth on six hits. Aguilar, McCraw and Navarro all doubled in the inning, with the latter two driving in runs.

Hernandez also drove in a run with a single. Breanna Lucero's infield single allowed Esquivel to score the 10th run. 

Esquivel finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while McCraw added a 3-for-4 effort.

Dunn yielded eight hits and four runs (three earned) in 3.1 innings to fall to 0-3 on the season.

HIU faces No. 16 Missouri Baptist on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. (PT) to conclude the NAIA SB Invitational.