BELTON, Texas – The Louisiana College softball team had the lead over #22 Mary Hardin-Baylor in its ASC-opening series finale, but errors proved to be the downfall as the Crusaders took advantage of three untimely Lady Wildcat miscues in an 8-4 loss Saturday afternoon at Dee Dillon Field.
Briley Johnston led off the game with a base hit to get things going in the right direction for the Lady Wildcats. She was sacrificed over to second, and then took third on a wild pitch before
Shaye Tredinich gave the LC the lead with a RBI single right back up the middle to plate Johnston for a 1-0 lead.
But that lead didn't last long as the first LC error allowed the lead-off batter on, a runner who would eventually come home to tie the score at 1-1 on a RBI single with two outs.
LC reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning.
Kayla Dauthier continued to swing a big bat as she led off the frame with a double. With
Maicey Spillers on second running for Dauthier,
Samantha Cetta hit an infield single to move Spillers to third, and then
Kayelea Dearmon got her home with a fly ball to center deep enough to allow Spillers to tag and score and make it 2-1 Lady Wildcats when the fourth inning closed.
However, one miscue turned the game around. With runners on second and third and two outs, the Lady Wildcats looked to get out of the inning, but an error not only kept the inning alive, but immediately allowed the tying run to score. With the new lease on life, the Crusaders took advantage as a double steal gave UMHB the lead, and then a two-run home run bumped the LC deficit to 5-2.
The Lady Wildcats wouldn't go away without a fight. With
Samantha Cetta standing on first,
Kayelea Dearmon smashed a two-run home run of her own to pull LC back within 5-4. But another error in the bottom of the sixth kept the inning going long enough for the Crusaders to get three insurance runs on a three-run home run for the game's final runs.
Samantha Cetta and
Briley Johnston each had two hits and a run scored in the contest.
Kayelea Dearmon had a hit in her only official at bat in the contest, which was her first home run as a Lady Wildcat. Her home run accounted for two of her three RBI in the contest, and she also drew a walk in the game.
Shaye Tredinich had LC's lone other RBI in the game.
Bailey McMillian (1-4) came on in relief and threw 1.1 innings, allowing five hits and six runs, none earned, with no walks or strikeouts.
Cameron Crochet threw the game's first 4.2 innings and allowed three hits and two runs, neither earned, with one strike out and no walks.
The Lady Wildcats (1-5, 0-3 ASC) look to open the home portion of their schedule on the winning foot on Monday as Austin College comes to town for a Lundi Gras doubleheader. First pitch against the 'Roos (3-7) is set for 1:00 P.M. at Wildcat Park.
