LIVE STATS FOR ALL ASC TOURNAMENT GAMES / UMHB BOX SCORE / POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH MEAGAN PEARSON / PHOTO GALLERY
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – For the second straight game in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament, the Louisiana College softball team was victorious after seventh-inning fireworks. After defeating Howard Payne 10-9 in walkoff fashion in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament, LC scored six runs in the top of the seventh to down Mary Hardin-Baylor 13-8 to advance in the winner's bracket.

The win means that LC, 27-11 and the No. 2 seed from the ASC East Division, will take on nationally-ranked Texas-Tyler, the No. 1 team in the East, at 4 p.m. Friday with the winner advancing the tournament finals.

Friday night, the Lady Cats found themselves down 3-0 early to Mary Hardin-Baylor but rallied to take a 7-3 lead before falling into a 7-7 tie with the Crusaders in the bottom of the sixth.

In the top of the seventh, though, LC put up six runs with three runs and effective game-ender coming on a three-run homerun by catcher Meagan Pearson (Frierson, La./North DeSoto HS).

Lady Cats pitcher Jordan Waldroup (7-4) kept the Crusaders at bay in the bottom of the seventh and Louisiana College was able to move on after 13 runs on 22 hits. Over two games Friday, LC's offense was good for 23 runs on 38 total hits.

In the late game, 8-of-9 LC batters had two or more hits. The only player with one hit was the Pearson, the hero of the seventh inning.

Leadoff Meggie Burkett (West Monroe, La./West Ouachita HS) was a perfect 5-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored and first baseman Emily Douglas (Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS) went 4-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.

Designated player Laura Gulotta-Parrish (Plaquemine, La./St. Joseph Academy) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored and senior third baseman Devan Greene (Kaplan, La./Kaplan HS) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Both second baseman Stephanie Jaeger (Haughton, La./Haughton HS) and senior outfielder Cassie DeCoste (Pineville, La./Pineville HS) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while shorstop Daniele Wilson (Destrehan, La./Archbishop Chappelle) went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI and outfielder Chelsea Allen (Houma, La./Vandebilt Catholic) went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Hannah White, who took the loss pitching in relief, was Mary Hardin-Baylor's top performer at the plate going 2-for-3 with four RBI.