Todd Ryals

Lady Wildcat Shutout Cowgirls in Friday DH

3/10/2017 11:21:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Louisiana College Lady Wildcats softball team extended their 10-game winning streak to 12 in a row on Friday with a doubleheader sweep of Hardin-Simmons University. The Wildcats did not allow a run in either game taking game one 3-0 with a complete game shutout from Savannah Settle, and a combined shutout from Darian Thacker and Chelsea Lewis in game two's 5-0 victory. LC will go for their fourth straight American Southwest Conference series sweep on Saturday with first pitch against HSU scheduled for 11 a.m.

Game 1

The first three innings of the game were dominated by the starting pitchers, Savannah Settle for the Wildcats and Lexie Allen for Hardin-Simmons. The Wildcats led of the second inning with the first hit for either team in the game, a single from Taylor Hammock, but Hammock was thrown out at the plate on an attempted double steal with Shea Smith trying to take second after a walk.

LC got runners to second and third in the top of the third inning but could not come up with the needed hit to bring in the first run of the game and the inning ended on a tapper back to the pitcher. The Cowgirls threatened to score the game's first run in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back 1-out singles put runners at first and second. The threat ended, however, in a ground ball to Mattie Stine at first base for the easy put out.

The Wildcats were finally able to break through in the top of the fourth, when Hammock reached after being hit by a pitch and found herself at third after a bunt and ground out. Shea Smith put LC ahead 1-0 with an infield single, bringing in Hammock from third on the play. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning from Settle, LC added to their lead in the fifth on an RBI single from Hammock, plating Sami Walters.

The Cowgirls last major threat came in the bottom of the fifth when they got runners to second and third with 2-out, but Settle struck out the batter on four pitches to end the inning and all but seal the win for the Wildcats. LC added a final run in the seventh when Shelby Bergeron scrambled home on a passed ball with 2-outs in the inning.

Savannah Settle tossed her sixth complete game of the season and her second complete game shutout in the last three starts. She gave up four hits in her 7.0 innings of work, walked one, and struck out three in her seventh victory of the year. Shelby Bergeron and Taylor Hammock both went 2-for-2 at the plate with three walks between them and a run scored each. LC drew six total walks in the game and picked up seven hits.

Game 2

The second game of the day began just as the first did with two scoreless innings and no real threats to score. Things changed in the third inning when LC loaded the bases on a 2-out walk to Mattie Stine. Taylor Hammock and Jordan Mason delivered back-to-back base hits to score three runs and put the Wildcats ahead 3-0.

The next nine batters of the game were retired in order, from the top of the third through the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth inning, the Wildcats picked up another run on a sacrifice fly by Hammock that scored Walters, and Mason followed with her second RBI single of the game to give LC a 5-0 advantage mid way through the fifth inning.

Hardin-Simmons looked as if they were going to pick up their first run of the day and perhaps even try and take the lead when they started the bottom of the fifth with three straight base hits to load the bases with no-outs. Starting pitcher Darian Thacker induced a ground ball to third, creating a force out at the plate, then ended the inning on a line drive to second for the second out and Hammock was able to catch the runner at first to far off the bag for the final out.

The Cowgirls got two hits in the sixth inning and had runners at first and third with no-out, but once again the threat was neutralized by great defensive play from the Wildcats. The runner at third was thrown out at the plate in a double steal attempt, and back-to-back ground outs ended the inning.

Darian Thacker and Chelsea Lewis combined for a complete game shutout. Thacker earned her fifth win of the season, allowing five hits, with no walks, runs, or strike out while inducing 11 ground ball outs in the game. Lewis gave up two hits in 2.0 innings of work, with one walk and one strikeout. Matte Stine went 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and Taylor Hammock added a 1-for-2 game with two RBI. Jordan Mason had two hits in the game as well and drove in three in consecutive at-bats.

The Wildcats will try and get their fourth consecutive ASC sweep as they finish their series with Hardin-Simmons on Saturday at 11 a.m. LC currently has a 12-game winning streak, matching the longest streak since 12-game streaks in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. LC returns to Wildcat Park next weekend for a three game non-conference series with Belhaven University, March 17-18. Stay connected to Louisiana College softball all season at www.lcwildcats.net, following @LC_sftball on Twitter and liking LC Athletics on Facebook.

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