Todd Ryals

Wildcats Walk-Off on Tigers

3/21/2018 4:54:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

For the second time in less than a week the Louisiana College softball team won a game in dramatic fashion via a walk-off hit in the bottom of the inning. Once again it would be transer Abby Sterling that would come through in the bottom of the eighth with just the Wildcats third hit of the game, but one that would get them the 3-2 win over rival East Texas Baptist, giving the Tigers their first American Southwest Conference loss of the season. LC will travel to the University of Texas at Tyler for a non-conference doubleheader Friday afternoon.

The series finale was a pitcher dual from the very beginning featuring a rematch of game one starters Savannah Settle and Jordan Anderson. Neither pitcher would allow a hit through the first two innings of play, until an RBI single in the top of the third with 2-out and runners on second and third put ETBU on top 1-0. They followed that up with a double to deep left center that scored another run but a great relay throw in from the outfield by Shelby Bergeron to Taylor Hammock caught the trailing runner too far off third for the final out after a short rundown.

ETBU led 2-0 from that point forward with the Wildcats not able to find any hits off Anderson, despite getting on in each of the next three innings via walks. ETBU threatened to extend their lead in the top of the sixth after a single to left and an error put the first two runners on base with no-out. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up 60 feet for the first out and then Settle got the two biggest strikeouts of the series back-to-back to keep the score 2-0 going to the bottom of the inning.

A deep fly ball off the bat of Sami Walter on the first pitch of the sixth was the break that the Wildcats needed. Although it didn't go down as a hit, the centerfielder could not make the catch and the 2-base error but speed in scoring position for the Wildcats. A fly ball to left moved Walters to third, who came home on a ground out to second by Abby Sterling, cutting the lead in half.

The Wildcats had some momentum and that would prove to be the tipping point in the game. With one-out in the bottom of the seventh Kaitlyn Moore delivered LC's first hit of the game, a sharp single right back up the middle. That was followed by a double to the base of the left center field wall by Samantha Cetta, putting the tying run at third and the winning run at second. After a walk that loaded the bases and a pitching change by the Tigers, LC was poised to win the game in regulation play. Shea Smith rolled one to short and a bobble there allowed the tying run to score, but the runner at third was called out on the force play as the short stop recovered just in time to get the throw to the base. A shallow fly ball to left appeared as if it was going to fall in for the potential winning run, but a running grab by the defender sent the game to extras.

Settle made her way out for the eighth and looked just as sharp as she did in the first, getting the 2-3-4 batters in the ETBU lineup out in order on just 10 pitches. Mattie Stine, showing the patience she has the entire year, drew her sixth walk of the series to start the eighth and gave way to Cheyenne Guillory as a pinch runner. A wild pitch during the battle between Abby Sterling at the plate and ETBU pitcher McKayla Handrix moved Guillory, the winning run into scoring position and proved to be the final mistake that would cost the Tigers the game and their unblemished conference record. Sterling ripped a single through the left side that allowed Guillory to race around from second and begin the Wildcats walk-off celebration.

Savannah Settle (7-4) tossed her seventh complete game of the season allowing two unearned runs on three hits with four strikeouts. The Wildcats had just three hits in the game, one each from Abby Sterling, Kaitlyn Moore, and Samantha Cetta, all coming in the seventh and eighth innnigs. Sterling had two of the team's three RBIs in the game, with Shea Smith getting the other on the grounder in the seventh.

The Wildcats travel to UT Tyler for a doubleheader Friday evening against the #3 ranked Patriots. The two games will not count in the ASC standings for either team. LC returns to Wildcat Park the following Thursday and Friday for the first ever meeting between the Wildcats and McMurry University in an ASC three game series. 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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