Todd Ryals

Settle Makes History in Softball DH Split

3/31/2017 10:29:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Louisiana College Lady Wildcats returned to American Southwest Conference action on Friday night with a doubleheader against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. LC split the two games against the Cru, winning 1-0 in game one before falling in the night cap 8-5. The Wildcats and Cru will finish their three game series Saturday with a 12 p.m. first pitch from Wildcat Park.

Game 1

The first game of the day turned into a true history making game for Wildcats ace Savannah Settle. She wears the number 21 on her back and that was the total number of batter's she faced in her first career perfect game. From the first batter to the last the Cru did not get a hit, earn a walk, or reach via a defensive miscue as Settle retired 21 batters in a row from the first inning through the seventh.

"Mary Hardin-Baylor is a great hitting team," Settle said. "I knew I had to keep hitting my spots and mixing up pitches. My change up and rise ball was really working the best for me today."

Today wasn't the first time this season she has flirted with perfection. Against Howard Payne University earlier this year, she threw a five inning, no-hitter that was one defensive error away from being a perfect game. Although Settle has strikeout stuff, as evidenced by a 13 and 11 strikeout game last weekend against LeTourneau, she only struck out six batters in the game and relied on her defense throughout Friday, and they did not let her down. They tracked down 10 fly ball outs and threw out five batters on ground balls to go along with the six strikeouts from the circle.

"I couldn't have done it without them behind me. They did such an amazing job," Settle said.

The stellar performance in the circle was further enhanced by the fact that the Wildcats only able to scratch across one run in the game in the bottom of the second. LC got back-to-back, 2-out singles, two of their four hits of the game, from Morgan Wampler and Cameron Crochet, the second of which brought in the games first and only run.

When asked if she was aware of the potential perfection, Settle said, "I was so focused on the game and doing my job, I wasn't even aware of what inning we were in and then I saw the umpire called the game."

Game 2

The second game of the day was a much different affair for both teams. After just four total hits in game one, all from the Wildcats, the two teams combined for 20 total hits and 13 runs. Unfortunately for LC, eight of them were scored by the Cru.

UMHB got on the board in the top of the first on a 2-out single to center field to take a 1-0 lead four batters into the game. The Wildcats fired back in the bottom of the inning on a Mattie Stine double to center that plated Shelby Bergeron from second to tie the game. The Wildcats went on top in the bottom of the next inning on an infield single from Bergeron that allowed Kourtney LeBlanc to score from third, giving LC a 2-1 lead after two innings of play.

The game remained the same through the next two innings of play until UMHB took advantage of a defensive miscue and two extra base hits. A double to right center field tied the game at two, then a home run over the center field wall gave the Cru a 4-2 lead just that quickly. With runners at second and third in the bottom of the inning, a ground ball to second with 1-out brought the Wildcats back within a run at 4-3, but couldn't get the second run in to tie the game.

In the sixth, after the first two batters of the inning went down on a pop up to left and a strike out, base hits from Bergeron and Sami Walters put runners at the corners with Mattie Stine at the plate. The Wildcats stole a run to tie the game as Walters purposefully educed a run down between first and second that allowed Bergeron to slide in under the tag at the plate to tie the game at four. Walters ended up on second base on the play, representing the potential winning run, but a line drive right to the first baseman ended the inning with Walters still at second.

Tied at four in the top of the seventh, the Cru put together a 2-out rally to score four runs in the inning and put the Wildcats in a tough spot for the bottom of the last inning. A bases loaded double to left scored two runs, which was followed by a single up the middle for two more before a strikeout finally ended the frame.

Shelby Bergeron (3-3), Sami Walters (2-4), and Shea Smith (2-3) each had multiple hits in the game and both Bergeron and Taylor Hammock scored two runs each for the Wildcats. Bergeron also added three more stolen bases to her team leading total, making her 25-28 on the season.

The rubber game of the three game series is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Wildcat Park on Saturday afternoon. LC will then travel to East Texas Baptist University next weekend another ASC three game series with a single game on Friday and a doubleheader Saturday. 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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