Softball Hosts National Champs

4/13/2017 10:19:00 AM

By: LC Sports Information

Louisiana College softball will host the defending Division III National Champions, University of Texas at Tyler Patriots in a three game American Southwest Conference series this week at Wildcat Park. LC has lost seven of their last eight games after their 19 game winning streak was snapped two weeks ago. The series in Pineville will be the last one of the season for LC as they finish the regular season on the road next weekend against the University of Texas at Dallas. The teams will play a single game Thursday at 6 p.m. and finish with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m.

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UT Tyler | 31-2 (22-2) 1st ASC

2519

The Patriots enter the series on a 15 game winning streak dating back to their early March series against East Texas Baptist University, where they lost 3-2 in extra innings. Since then, they have won 12 games in shutout fashion and have not allowed a run to score in their last six games in a row, winning via the run rule in their last five games.

UTT has a potent offense that is averaging 8.6 runs per game on 11.3 hits per game this season with a .419 team batting average and seven players hitting over .400 on the season. Their top hitter, Kaylee Prather, is hitting a ridiculous .534 on the season with a team-high 62 hits, four triples, and 46 runs. KK Stevens and Cheyenne Thompson are the sluggers in the middle of the lineup with a combined 15 home runs and 73 RBI, and both are batting over .400 on the season.

In the circle, Whitney Romero and Alaina Kissinger have been just as impressive as the offense. Kissinger is undefeated on the year with a 17-0 record in 20 starts and 22 appearances. She has thrown 104.1 innings this year with 12 complete games and has a 1.27 ERA. Romero has one loss on the season but still has an impressive 11-1 record in 12 starts and 71.2 innings pitched. She also has a 0.68 ERA this year with a .159 opponents batting average.

Louisiana College | 24-9 (18-6) T-3rd ASC

5201

The Wildcats suffered three, one-run losses last week at the hands of ETBU. LC gave up five earned runs in the series total, and lost on a 2-run error in the game one and a walk-off in game two of the series. Despite suffering their first conference sweep of the season, the Wildcats still secured a spot in the ASC tournament thanks to Hardin-Simmons loss to LeTourneau last weekend.

Savannah Settle has been a force in the circle all year for LC, having her best season since coming to Pineville. She has a 0.95 ERA in 16 starts and 117.1 innings pitched. She has struck out 125 batters this season, most in the ASC, and has an 8-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio with better than a strikeout per inning average and a 6.3 strikeout per game average. Darian Thacker has the second most innings pitched this season for LC at 42.2 with a 5-2 record and a 2.46 ERA and Chelsea Lewis has pitched very well in relief for the Wildcats this season. She has made 12 appearances all out of the bullpen and has a 1.95 ERA in 28.2 innings.

Offensively, the Wildcats are hitting .288 as a team and averaging 4.4 runs and 7.6 hits per game this year. Mattie Stine leads the team in almost every offensive category with a .392 batting average, 41 hits, 12 doubles, 30 RBI, 13 walks, a .587 slugging percentage, and a .462 on-base percentage. Stine's offensive numbers, especially the RBI total, are due in large part to the dynamic duo of Shelby Bergeron and Sami Walters at the top of the lineup. Both slappers are batting over .340 this year and have stolen a combined 43 bases for LC this year.

The series against UTT is the final home series for the Wildcats this year and they will honor four seniors between games of the doubleheader on Friday afternoon. Jordan Mason, Morgan Dennis, Kourtney Herrera, and Taylor Leger will be presented with gifts from the coaches and team before their final home game at Wildcat Park. LC travels to UT Dallas next weekend for their final series of the year before the conference tournament begins the last weekend of April.

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