After the Baker University softball team dropped the first two games of the Central Baptist College Meltdown Friday in Conway, Ark., it found new life Saturday and broke even for the tournament.

The team started out by losing to Southern Nazarene University and Oklahoma Christian College Friday before defeating Bacone College and Southwestern College Saturday.

Southern Nazarene beat Baker 3-0 after the ‘Cats gave up an early lead.

“We came out really flat. We weren’t quite awake or ready to be there,” head coach Matt Windle said.

In the opening game of the tournament, Oklahoma Christian College defeated Baker 2-1.

Baker led 1-0 going into the seventh inning, but Oklahoma Christian College scored two runs at the top of seventh and kept the lead through the rest of the game.

The Wildcats got back on track the following day, finding an 8-1 win against Bacone College.

Sophomore Heather Gruber and freshman Erin Greenwood pitched in the game. Gruber pitched two shutout innings while Greenwood closed out the game by pitching five innings, only allowing one run.

“We hit the ball extremely well,” Windle said. “Erin Greenwood pitched extremely well.”

Baker beat Southwestern College 8-0, as junior Brittany Vollenweider pitched her first game of the season and threw a five-inning shutout.

“I think we had some freshman really come up and play,” senior Katie Worley said. “I think just through and through everyone is just really starting to step into their positions.”

Freshman Renata Dill hit her first home run of the season with a two-run homerun into left field against Southwestern College, while Greenwood hit her first homerun of her college career with a two-run homerun to right field in the same game.

“We are really reliant on our freshmen, so I think they are kind of starting to realize that and really stepping up to it,” Worley said.

Baker was one of three HAAC teams at the CBC Meltdown and the Wildcats were the only one to come away with a win.

“The games showed us we can play with anyone,” Windle said. “We’ve got to find a way to get the breaks, and we’ve got to find a way to hit the ball better and put runs across the board.”

Senior Annie Hannon said the team has played solid defense and does a good job of coming together.

“We have really great team chemistry,” Hannon said.

The Wildcats will play their first home games against Southwestern College Thursday in Baldwin City.

The ‘Cats will take on William Penn University at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday in Oskaloosa, Iowa.