Jamarcus Fitzpatrick

Lady Wildcats Open with Sweep of Millsaps

2/4/2017 9:44:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The 2017 softball season started on a good note on a beautiful Saturday afternoon for the Lousiana College Wildcats, as they took both games of a double-header over Millsaps, 3-1 and 4-0. Savannah Settle and Taylor Leger both got their first wins of the season and Mattie Stine and freshman Sami Walters combined to go 7-for-11 from the plate from the top of the order. The Wildcats travel to Centenary in Shreveport on Tuesday afternoon for a mid-week game before hosting the 2017 conference opening double-header against Concordia Friday afternoon at Wildcat Park.

Game 1

The Majors picked up hits in each of their first two trips to the plate in the game, but had nothing to show for it as the leadoff singles were erased in the first on a 6-4-3 put out when Bozeman strayed too far from first, and consecutive pop ups in the second left a runner stranded at second. In the third inning, however, Millsaps was able to break through after back-to-back walks to start the inning and an infield bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. After a pop up for the first out of the inning, an error by shortstop Morgan Dennis allowed the runner from thrid to score but, was able to throw the second runnner out at the plate to keep the score 1-0 Majors. An easy fly ball to center by the next batter ended the inning and the threat for Millsaps.

After retiring the first nine batters in a row, the Wildcats were finally able to get into the hit column on a lead off single by Sami Walters in the bottom of the fourth. The first scoring opportunity for the Wildcats came later in the inning with runners on second and third with 2-out, but Cameron Crochet went down swinging to end the inning, leaving the score 1-0 Millsaps going to the fifth. Savannah Settle got a pair of strikeouts and a grounder in the top half of the fifth putting the Wildcat offense back to work and Jordan Mason started things with a lead off double to right center. A sacrifice moved her to thrid and ground ball to second from Dennis brought her in to tie the game at one at the end of five innings.

Settle got another shut down inning in the sixth, and was reward in the bottom of the inning with two more runs, when a throwing error by the Majors third baseman allowed Walters to reach and make it all the way to third with no out to start the innning. An RBI single by Shelby Bergeron gave LC the lead at 2-1 and Mattie Stine tripled in Bergeron to add an insurance run for the Wildcats. Millsaps got a 1-out walk in the seventh and a 2-out single to left, putting the tying run on base, but Settle shut the door getting a groundout to second to end the game for the win.

Settle pitched 7.0 innings allowing one run on four hits, walking three and striking out three. Four different Wildcats had hits in the game with the top three in the lineup, Walters, Bergeron, and Stine accounting for three of them.

Game 2

In the second game of the double-header, Millsaps went to work early, getting a runner on thanks to a throwing error and a stolen base, put a runner at third with no one out. Starting pitcher Taylor Leger shut the door on the threat quickly by striking out the next three batters in order, preventing the run from scoring. LC used the momentum of the back half of game one to strike early in game two with the first three batters reaching base on a walk, a single, and a double.

Kaitlyn Moore led off the first with a walk, followed by an infiled single by Walters, putting runners on first and second with Mattie Stine coming to the plate. The three hole batter came through with an RBI double to center, plating Moore and moving Walters to third, who scampered home on a passed ball during the next at bat, making the score 2-0 with still no outs. After a grounder back to the pitcher held Stine at third base, Crochet came through with an RBI groundout to third, scoring the thrid run of the inning for LC. They would add another run in the third inning on an RBI double to left from Morgan Wampler to score Stine.

The three runs in the first inning would be all the Wildcats would need as the combination of Leger, Chelsea Lewis, and Darian Thacker absolutely shut down Millsaps the rest of the game. A leadoff single in the second inning would be the last hit the Majors would get in the game with only one other baserunner to come in the fourth after a hit by pitch. The Wildcat trio of pitchers retired 18 of the last 20 batter faced in of the game with four strike outs and 10 ground ball outs.

Taylor Leger got the win in the game but the pitching staff allowed just two hits in the shutout with seven total strikeout, five from Leger, and no walks. Freshman Sami Walters went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored a run, and Mattie Stine went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.

LC will travel to Centenary on Tuesday for a matchup with the Ladies in Shreveport before opening their conference schedule with a double-header Friday afternoon at Wildcat Park against Concordia. The three game series will conclude on Saturday afternoon with a single game beginning at noon. Stay connected to Louisiana College softball by following @LC_sftball or @LC_Wildcats on Twitter or liking LC Athletics on Facebook.

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