Maycee Lachney

Softball Splits DH at LeTourneau

3/10/2018 12:26:00 AM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Riding some momentum after a key win over the defending American Southwest Conference champions, the Louisiana College softball team retuned to play on Friday night with a doubleheader against LeTourneau University. The Wildcats easily took game one of the day with a 5-0 shutout win, but failed to hold on to their lead in game two, falling on a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh 7-3. The Wildcats and Yellowjackets will close their series with a noon, rubber game on Saturday afternoon in Longview.

Game 1

The Wildcats jumped out early in game one on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Hammock that scored Briley Johnston, who reached on an error, stole second, and moved to third on a fly ball to center. LeTourneau appeared to have an answer in the bottom of the inning with a back-to-back hits and a wild pitch that moved them to second and third with no-outs. LC starter Savannah Settle buckled down and struck out the next batter, got an easy ground ball to third, and struck out the final batter to prevent any runs from scoring.

That missed opportunity in the first would come back to haunt the Jackets as they would not get a runner past second base the rest of the game and only manage two more hits off the Wildcat ace. Settle ended the game with eight strikeouts and only four hits allowed in her first shoutout win of the season.

Although not entitely needed with Settle dominating in the circle, the Wildcat offense continued to add to their total through the game. Briley Johnston, scored the second run of the game in the third after stealing second then racing home as the ball went into centerfield on the throw attempt. A Shelby Bergeron triple over the head of the right fielders added another run in the fourth, and another error in the fifth allowed Samantha Cetta to score on an errant throw by the shortstop. Abby Sterling finished the scoring later in the inning with a single to center to give the Wildcats the comfortable 5-0 lead in the fifth inning.

Samantha Cetta went 2-for-4 with a run scored, Briley Johnston was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Stine, Sterling, and Walters each had two hits in the game as well. Savannah Settle (2-2) picked up her first complete game shutout of the season with just four hits allowed and eight strikeouts.

Game 2

The Wildcats missed an early opportunity in the top of the first of the second game of the day, loading the bases on a pair of hits and a walk, but they could not get the 2-out hit they needed to score the game's first run. It would not be until the top of the third when someone would finally break the scoreless draw, when the Wildcats once again loaded the bases, this time with no outs in the inning. Kaityln Moore hit a seeing eye single through the left side that plated two runs for LC with 1-out in the inning. Sami Walters blooped a hit into left two batters later to make it 3-0 Wildcats after two and a half innings.

LeTourneau began to chip away at the LC lead in the bottom of the inning, their first run of the day on a throwing error trying to get the runner at home. They got one run closer in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 3-2 going to the sixth. A 1-out solo homerun tied the game in the bottom of the sixth for the Yellowjackets and they had designs of taking the lead into the seventh, but a perfect throw from Johnston in left to Haley Vezinat at the plate prevented the go ahead run from scoring and ended the inning tied at three.

The Wildcats had a chance to score in the seventh following a double from Taylor Hammock, but the needed 2-out hit would not come this time for LC as she was left standing at second as the frame ended. A walk and a base hit by the first two batter put the winning run in scoring position for LETU in the bottom of the inning, then a hit batter loaded the bases with 1-out. With any kind of hit to the outfield likely to end the game, LETU shortstop Ashlin Roach lifted a ball to left that cleared the fence for the walk-off grand slam ending the game at 7-3.

Taylor Hammock was the only Wildcats with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3. Kaitlyn Moore was 1-for-2 with two RBI, and Samantha Cetta, Mattie Stine, and Sami Walters each added hits of their own. Lucy Lewis started the game for the Wildcats and pitched 5.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts in a no decision. Cameron Crochet (1-2) pitched just 1.0 inning giving up three hits and four runs with one strikeout in the loss.

The Wildcats and Yellowjackets will finish their series, weather permitting, at noon on Saturday in Longview, Texas. Stay connected to Louisiana College softball by following @LC_sftball on Twitter or liking Louisiana College Softball on Facebook. For general athletics news follow @LC_Wildcats on Twitter or like Louisiana College Wildcats on Facebook.

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