Lady Wildcats Sweep Centenary Double

3/13/2018 10:17:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Louisiana College softball team continued their winning ways on Tuesday night at Wildcat Park as they took both games of a doubleheader against in-state rival Centenary College. The Wildcats won the first game of the day with a run-rule shortened 10-2 win in six innings, and battled to a 4-2 win in the nightcap. The Wildcats are now 8-7 on the season and 5-0 at home and will host American Southwest Conference foe Hardin-Simmons University in a weekend series beginning on Friday afternoon.

Game 1

After a scoreless first, the Ladies broke the tie on a towering home run down the left field line putting them ahead 1-0. The lead only lasted until the bottom of the inning when Alyssa Ross came home on an RBI groundout by Abby Sterling, tying things at one. The teams traded runs once again in the third inning as Centenary scored on a throwing error, but the Wildcats answered with an RBI single off the bat of Kaitlyn Moore, taking advantage of an error that allowed speedster Briley Johnston to reach base earlier in the inning.

LC held Centenary off the scoreboard in the fourth, then broke the game open with one swing of the bat as Abby Sterling connected on a no-doubter over the left field wall to bring in three runs and give LC the 5-2 lead. The Wildcats added another in the fifth after Johnston tripled to start the inning, and Moore immediately brought her in on a double off the right field wall.

Pitching woes cost Centenary in the sixth inning as two walks and a single loaded the bases for Johnston who drew a four-pitch walk and sent the Ladies to the bullpen for the second time in the inning. Moore came through again on a tapper in front of the plate that caught the defense off guard and allowed a run to score making it 8-2. A sacrifice fly to center from Taylor Hammock added another run and Mattie Stine ended the game early on an RBI single up the middle to plate the winning run from second.

Kaitlyn Moore went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and Abby Sterling was 1-for-2 with four RBI in the game. Briley Johnston had one hit and scored three runs and Samantha Cetta was 2-for-3 as well. Starting pitcher Lucy Lewis (3-2) pitched all 6.0 innings allowing two runs, one of them earned, on six hits with three strikeouts in her third win of the season.

Game 2

Early in the second game of the day it appeared as if the Wildcats would carry their momentum from game one into another run shortened game. LC got on the board first on an RBI single from Mattie Stine, putting runners at the corners with just 1-out. A throwing error by the Ladies loaded the bases, but a strikeout and a fly ball to center ended the early threat with only one run across for LC. The Wildcats were able to rally again in the second inning with back-to-back singles to start the inning that put runners at second and third with no out. Sami Walters scored on an RBI groundout and Haley Vezinat came in on an infield single by Kaitlyn Moore and LC had a 3-0 lead after two innings.

The Centenary offense came back quickly with two runs in the top of the third after a lengthy at-bat resulted in a base hit through the left side scoring both runners on the play. Centenary pitcher Taylor Abshire was able to finally slow the Wildcats bats between the third and fifth innings, only allowing two hits during that time, and no significant scoring threats along the way. It wasn't until the sixth that the Wildcats would finally break through again and find an insurance run. A leadoff double from Abby Sterling and a base hit from Shelby Bergeron put runners at the corners. Bergeron swiped second before a fly ball to center for the first out. After a 9-pitch at-bat, Bria White lifted a ball to left field just deep enough to allow Sterling to come in from third as the throw pulled the catcher up the first base line, giving LC the 4-2 lead going to the seventh.

Savannah Settle, as she has done time and time again, came out and slammed the door in the final inning with a strikeout, and two easy pop ups to first to secure her fourth win of the season. Settle (4-3) threw her fifth complete game of the season, scattering seven hits over 7.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out seven.

Kaitlyn Moore was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Abby Sterling and Sami Walters each added two hits and a run as well. Mattie Stine and Briley Johnston both had RBI hits in the game and Bria White picked up an RBI on the sacrifice fly in the sixth.

The Wildcats return to ASC play in a three game series with Hardin-Simmons that begins Friday afternoon with a doubleheader starting at 4pm. The series will conclude with a single game Saturday afternoon a 12pm. 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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