Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score
PINEVILLE – The matchup between the No. 1 Louisiana College Lady Wildcats and No. 2 Texas-Tyler Patriots did not disappoint the 750 in attendance at Coca-Cola Lady Wildcats Field but it might leave both teams feeling a bit uncertain after the teams split a twin bill with LC taking game one 6-5 and Texas-Tyler winning game two 4-2.

Neither team performed poorly in its loss nor did one team distinguish itself as clearly dominant.

And while both teams managed a win, neither could leave with the satisfaction of sweeping its arch rival.

The Lady Wildcats (21-1, 5-1 in American Southwest Conference play) took game one in dramatic fashion thanks to a sixth-inning solo homerun by Jodi Montagnino to break what had been a 5-5 tie.

The game started out well for LC, with senior Ashleigh Clement delivering an RBI single on an infield hit in the first inning.

That lead grew to 4-0 in the second thanks two a two-RBI double by Mary Alice Roy and a one-RBI double by Montagnino.

The Patriots (16-2, 3-1 ASC) nearly erased the entirety of that lead with one swing of the bat by Joey Cronin, who hit a three-run homer in the third to cut the LC lead to 4-3.

LC cleanup hitter Kelsey Brown answered in the fourth with an RBI double of her own to move the lead to 5-3 but the Patriots plated a pair of runs in the sixth to tie the score before Montagnino put the Lady Wildcats ahead for good with her dinger.

Texas-Tyler did manage to get the tying run in scoring position in the top of the seventh but thanks to two big defensive plays by LC third baseman Devan Greene – who made a diving stop of a sharply-hit ground ball and made a strong throw to first for the second out of the inning then raced down the third base line to snag a long foul ball for out No. 3 – the Lady Wildcats were able to preserve the win.
Junior Rene' Schwartzenburg (14-0) after a complete game in which she struck out three and walked just one while scattering 10 hits.

Montagnino went 2-for-2 in the contest with a run scored and two driven in.

Roy went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and two driven in while Brown and Clement each went 1-for-3 with an RBI apiece and Brittany Menard went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

In game two, however, it was Texas-Tyler that grabbed an early lead and never surrendered.
The Patriots scored two in the first inning to set the table for what eventually would become the Lady Wildcats first loss of the season.

Roy, who went 1-for-2 in the second game, scored a run in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch to cut the Texas-Tyler lead in half, but a run in the fourth gave the Patriots a 3-1 advantage.

The Lady Wildcats had their best offensive inning of the contest in the fifth, when Menard produced an RBI single that scored Amber Martin, who was pinch-running for catcher Amber Thomas, and bring LC to within 3-2.

Unfortunately for Louisiana College, that's as close as the Lady Wildcats would get. Texas-Tyler would score another run in the sixth and hold LC scoreless the rest of the way.

Kelly Williams (1-1) took the loss while Texas-Tyler's Stacy Sheppard registered the win after holding LC to just three hits, those coming from Menard, Roy and Brown.

Next up for LC is a road trip to ASC East rival Mississippi College for a doubleheader Saturday at 3 p.m.

Photos from the Louisiana College vs. University of Texas at Tyler softball game played are available for viewing/purchase at www.enduripix.com/order.html until approximately 10 p.m. on Sunday, April 11.