Todd Ryals

Softball Suffers First Series Sweep

4/8/2017 8:39:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Louisiana College Lady Wildcats softball team was swept in a three game series for the first time this season after dropping two seperate 1-run games to East Texas Baptist University on Saturday afternoon. It took a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh of game one for ETBU to win the first game of the day 1-0, and the Tigers rallied from a three run deficit to win game two, 5-4 over LC. The Wildcats return to Wildcat Park for their final home series of the season, beginning next Thursday against the University of Texas at Tyler.

Game 1

The first game of the day was a complete pitcher's dual between the Wildcats Savannah Settle and ETBU's Rocki Tello. Neither pitcher allowed a run through the first six innings of play and only allowed five combined hits during that time.

ETBU had a chance to score in the bottom of the first with a runner at second with 1-out, but Settle got the final two batters to fly out to left and center field. ETBU had another chance in the second with a runner at third, but once again Settle got out of the inning with a pop up to first. The Wildcats had their first chance to score in the top of the third with a runner at second after Shelby Bergeron stole second base. Sami Walters hit a fly ball to left that was caught in foul territory, ending the inning and the Wildcats scoring chance.

LC had another chance to score in the top of the sixth, thanks to an Alyssa Ross leadoff single. She advanced to second on a ground out by Bergeron, putting the go ahead run at second with 1-out. A ground out by Walters and a pop up to short by Taylor Hammock, after an intentional walk to Mattie Stine, again left a runner in scoring position at the end of the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Tigers got the winning run to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a pop to shallow left gave the Wildcats 2-out in the inning, a pinch hit single to left center was far enough to allow the winning run to score from second.

Shea Smith went 2-for-3 in the game, recording two of the Wildcats three hits in the game. Savannah Settle allowed just one earned run on four hits and was saddled with her fifth loss of the season, three of which have come by just one run.

Game 2

In the second game of the day, ETBU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring on an error at second base. It didn't take long for the Wildcats to answer back as Kourtney Herrera hit a 2-out, 2-run home run to left field to give the Wildcats their first lead of the series, 2-1 after two innings of play in the series finale.

LC extended their lead in the top of the third on another home run, this one coming from Mattie Stine with a runner on third, giving the Wildcats a 4-1 lead in the middle of the third inning. The Tigers came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on a pair of RBI singles in the inning, but the Wildcats still held a one run lead after three innings of play.

ETBU took the lead in the bottom of the next inning when a 2-out single to left center brought one run in and an error on the play allowed a second run to score to put the Tigers back on top 5-4 after four innings of play. The Wildcats best chance to tie the game the rest of the game came in the top of the next inning. Sami Walters started the inning with an infield single, advanced to second on a ground out by Stine, and after Hammock was hit by a pitch and Morgan Dennis drew a four pitch walk, LC had the bases loaded with 2-out in the inning. On a full count pitch, Sydney Falcon flew out to left ending the threat.

Darian Thacker pitched 3.1 innings, allowing five runs, three of them earned, on eight hits. Chelsea Lewis pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless work allowing two hits and Savannah Settle pitched the final inning, with no runs or hits and one strikeout. Sami Walters went 3-for-4 in the game and Mattie Stine and Kourtney Herrera's only hits of the game were their home runs.

After the series sweep the Wildcats are now 24-9 overall and 18-6 in ASC play on the year. With just six games remaining in the season, LC sits in fourth place in the conference standings. Thanks to the Hardin-Simmons loss to LeTourneau the Wildcats have secured a spot in the postseason tournament that begins on April 27 at the conference regular season champion's venue. The Wildcats host UT Tyler next Thursday and Friday in their final home series of the season, with a single game on Thursday and a doubleheader on Good Friday beginning at 1 p.m.

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