Box Score
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – It didn't take long for the Lady Wildcats to start their 2010 NCAA Division III Leadoff Classic Tournament on an almost perfect foot. In a mercy-rule-shortened, five-inning game, Louisiana College blew past previously-ranked Emerson 9-0.

After a tough first at-bat versus an Emerson team that seemed content to live or die by the change-up, the Lady Wildcats, who improved to 11-0, exploded with three runs in the second inning, one in the fourth and five in the fifth to force the early ending.

“With this tournament, we didn't really know what to expect from any of the teams we're playing,” LC coach Tim Whitman said. “A lot of them are mysteries to us. Emerson kept us off balance early but I thought we did a good job of making adjustments.”

One player who needed no in-game adjustments was junior pitcher Rene Schwartzenburg (now 8-0 on the year), who was nearly unhittable throughout her five innings of work, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 and walking none.

“Rene did a good job for us today,” Whitman said. “We needed that from for this game and on into the weekend. It was important for us to get a win in this first game. The teams are going to keep getting tougher.”

Emerson, which last week was ranked No. 18 in the nation, didn't prove a match for the Lady Wildcats on Friday morning.

In the second inning, LC got the ball rolling on offense with three runs, one coming off an RBI single by Ashleigh Clement and the other off a two-RBI double by Aimee Dubroc.

In the fourth inning, catcher Amber Thomas launched a home run over the left-field wall to up the LC lead to 4-0.

In the fifth, it was a two-RBI single by Kelsey Brown, a sacrifice fly RBI by Thomas, a sacrifice by Jodi Montagnino and an RBI single by Brittany Menard that paced the LC offense.

“Coming in, we wanted to be ready and playing up to the best our ability,” Thomas said. “They got to us early, but I thought we adjusted pretty well and Rene did really well. It was a great way to start.”

Thomas finished the day 1-for-1 with a run scored and two RBI.

Clement went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Brown 1-for-3 with two RBI and Dubroc 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI.

LC will next face Lynchburg at 6:30 p.m. tonight.