Todd Ryals

Softball Finishes Sweep of Yellow Jackets

2/25/2017 3:15:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information

Box Score

The Louisiana College Lady Wildcats softball team finished off their second straight American Southwest Conference series with a 6-0 shutout victory over Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats improve to 11-2 on the season and 8-1 in conference play and will return home next weekend for another ASC series against Sul Ross State University.

The Wildcats picked up where they left off after Friday's doubleheader sweep getting a run after just three batters at the start of the game. A Mattie Stine single to right field scored Sami Walters, who reached on a single up the middle and advanced to second on a throw to the plate, for LC's first run of the afternoon. The Wildcats added to their lead in their next at-bat on an RBI groundout by Haley Vezinat bringing in Taylor Hammock from third, putting LC up 2-0 through two innings.

The big inning offensively came the next time the Wildcats came to the plate in the third inning. Walters started the inning with a single to right, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout to short. She came home on a squeeze bunt from Shea Smith, who advanced to second on an error by the pitcher. Smith came in on a base hit from Jordan Mason, making the score 4-0, and Hammock ripped a pitch down the left field line for a double two batters later to bring Mason in for the fifth run of the game.

The Wildcats added their final run on a bases loaded walk to Mattie Stine in the top of the sixth inning. The defensive play of the game came in the bottom half of the inning from center fielder Shelby Bergeron. With runners at first and second with 2-outs, Haley Slater sent a ball into the right center field gap but Bergeron was able to range far to her left and make a diving catch to prevent at least one run from scoring and in turn preserve the Wildcats second shutout of the weekend.

The two runs in the first two innings was all the Wildcats pitching staff would need as starting pitcher Taylor Leger allowed just one hit through her 3.0 innings of work with a pair of strikeouts. Leger gave way to Friday's no-hit pitcher Savannah Settle for the next 3.0 innings and she allowed just two hits with four Ks. Chelsea Lewis got Howard Payne in order in the bottom of the seventh on two ground balls and a strikeout to finish the game and the sweep.

As a team in the three game series against Howard Payne, the Wildcats pounded out 35 total hits and hit .443 from the plate. In the series finale seven players had at least one hit in the game with freshman shortstop Taylor Hammock going 3-for-4 in the game and 7-for-10 for the series. Sami Walters had two hits and scored two runs and Jordan Mason added two hits, and RBI, and a run scored.

The Wildcats return to Wildcat Park next weekend for a three game series with Sul Ross. The three game series is scheduled for a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 4 p.m. and ending with a single game Saturday at 11 a.m. Stay connected with Louisiana College softball all season long by following @LC_sftball on Twitter or liking LC Athletics on Facebook.

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