Todd Ryals

Late Rally Not Enough For Lady Wildcats

4/13/2017 10:55:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

A late rally from the Louisiana College Lady Wildcats softball team was not enough to overcome the No. 2 ranked University of Texas at Tyler on Thursday night, as the Patriots took game one of the series 8-2. The final American Southwest Conference series of the year at Wildcat Park will conclude on Friday with a doubleheader on senior day beginning at 1 p.m. Four Wildcats senior players, Morgan Dennis, Kourtney Herrera, Taylor Leger, and Jordan Mason, will be honored between the two games of the day.

If you give good teams like UTT extra outs in an inning, they typically will take advantage of them, and that is what happened early in the series opener on Friday night. A 2-out throwing error, that would have ended the inning for the Wildcats, gave the Patriots another at-bat and they answered with a double to left center field, plating two runs in the process. Another throwing error two batters later on a ground ball allowed another run to score and before LC could even step into the batter's box, they were down 3-0.

UTT added another run in the second inning, thanks to another error that allowed a run to score from third, making all four runs for Tyler unearned through the first two innings. Still down by four in the bottom of the third, the Wildcats got what appeared as it was going to be their best scoring opportunity with runners at second and third with 1-out, but Alyssa Ross was called out for missing second base on her way to third and the Wildcats ended up with a runner at second and 2-out. A pop up to short ended the inning with the runner left at second.

LC had runners in scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings, but each time failed to get the 2-out hit they needed to bring them around. It wasn't until the bottom of the seventh that the Wildcats were able to break into the run column. Leadoff hitter Shea Smith was hit by a pitch and stole second to put herself in scoring position. Haley Vezinat lifted a ball to deep left center for a double that scored Smith from second and ended the Patriots streak of 40 consecutive scoreless innings. A walk and an infield bunt single by the next two batters loaded the bases for the Wildcats. After a ground out back to the pitcher and the force out at home, Mattie Stine hit a sharp single to right to plate another run but Shelby Bergeron was thrown out at home for the final out of the game.

The Wildcats had eight hits in the game, the most hits given up by the Patriots in 14 games, but only scratched across the two late runs. Mattie Stine was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Shelby Bergeron went 2-for-4, the only Wildcats with multiple hits in the game.

Savannah Settle was saddled with the loss, her sixth of the season, pitching five innings, giving up six runs, only two of them earned, on eight hits with four strikeouts. Taylor Leger pitched the final two innings of the game, allowing two runs, only one of them earned, on two hits.

The final two games at Wildcat Park for the 2017 season begin at 1 p.m. on Friday against UT Tyler. The senior presentation for the four LC players will take place between the two games of the doubleheader. LC finishes their regular season schedule with a trip to Richardson, Texas next weekend against the University of Texas at Dallas. 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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