Patriots' Clutch Hitting Beats Wildcats

4/27/2017 10:37:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information

Box Score

Louisiana College was only out hit by one, 8-7, in their winner's bracket game against the University of Texas at Tyler on Thursday night in the American Southwest Conference tournament. Tyler's eight hits came at opportune times for the host team as they tallied four runs on five hits through the first three innings of play before pulling away with a four run fifth to take down LC 8-2. The loss sends the Wildcats to an elimination game on Friday against Concordia University (TX) at 1 p.m.

The Wildcats got the first two outs of the game on a fly ball and a ground ball, before a walk extended the inning for the Patriots' clean up batter, KK Stevens. On the second pitch of the at-bat, she cleared the left center field wall for a 2-run home run to give the home team an early 2-0 lead. In the second, UTT added to their lead on a double down the left field line that would have scored two runs if not for a great relay from Taylor Hammock to the plate to get the runner at home for the second out. Tyler added another run on another home run from Stevens in the bottom of the third and led 4-0 after three innings of play.

LC made a run in the top of the next inning, started by back-to-back singles from Sami Walters and Mattie Stine. A sacrifice bunt from Hammock moved them to second and third for Jordan Mason to bring Walters in on a base hit to left. Morgan Dennis then followed suit with a base hit to bring in pinch runner Kourtney Leblanc, but was called out by the home plate umpire after trying to bait a throw to first with a runner at third. The called out was the second of the inning and the Wildcats could not keep the rally going as a foul out to third ended the threat with a runner at third.

Reliever Chelsea Lewis get a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the inning but LC could not keep the offensive momentum going in the fifth and didn't score. In the bottom of the inning with a runner at first, a hard hit ball to first was fielded and the out at second was made but on the return throw to first the runner was called safe on a bang-bang play. The non-second out turned out to be an important call, as the next three batters reached on a walk, a hit by pitch, and a walk, the last of which scoring the runner that was called safe at first. A passed ball and a sacrifice fly scored two more runs in the inning for Tyler and they held an 8-2 lead after five innings.

The Wildcats got hits in each of the final two innings, but were unable to create any more momentum for themselves in the game. Mattie Stine was the only player to have more than one hit in the game, going 3-for-3 with three singles. Seniors Jordan Mason and Morgan Dennis each had RBI singles in the game for their only hits. Taylor Leger started the game and pitched 1.0+ allowing three runs on two hits with two walks. Chelsea Lewis pitched 3.1 innings of relief allowing five runs on four hits, and Savannah Settle threw the final 1.2 allowing no runs on two hits.

LC will face Concordia in an elimination game Friday at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to play the winner of the Mary Hardin-Baylor/ETBU game at 7 p.m. Friday evening. LC won two of three game in the regular season against the Tornado in the first ASC series of the season on February 10-11. The last time the two teams met in tournament action was in 2013, with the Wildcats winning that elimination game 3-1.

Live video and stats will be available via Texas-Tyler game portal, with the link available on the LC Athletics homepage. Follow @LC_sftball on Twitter for live in-game updates throughout the rest of the tournament.

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