PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College softball team picked up a conference series win for the first time since late March by using a sixth-inning rally to take game one of the doubleheader against Ozarks 5-2 before falling in the series finale 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Wildcat Park.
Game 1 – University of the Ozarks 2, Louisiana College 5
Following a scoreless first inning,
Bella Houck got things moving in the right direction in the second inning as she led off the frame with a base hit down the third base line. After getting sacrificed over to second,
Meredith Perry came in to pinch run for Houck.
Olivia Coaker then put the Wildcats on the board as she doubled to the left-center gap, scoring Perry for a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, a ground ball to short by
Lexie Marks was booted, allowing Coaker to score for a 2-0 LC lead after the second inning.
However, Ozarks responded with single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to tie the score at 2-2 when the Wildcats came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. It was there where LC took advantage of some miscues in the field and got the needed runs to close out the win.
Samantha Cetta led off the inning by hustling to reach second when her pop fly in shallow left was misplayed. After a fly ball to left-center allowed Cetta to move to third,
Olivia Coaker brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Wildcats the lead.
After a single and another error put runners on first and second, a base hit to left by
Briley Johnston scored pinch runner
Maci Rozas from second, and then a wild throw allowed BreAnna Newman to come all the way around as well on the play to give the Wildcats a 5-2 lead heading to the final inning. Ozarks would get a two-out base hit, but the tying run never got to the plate as LC closed out the game one win.
Bella Houck and
BreAnna Corkern both went two-for-three with Corkern also stealing a base.
Olivia Coaker went one-for-two with a double, two RBI, and a run scored.
Briley Johnston went one-for-four with a RBI.
Bailey McMillian (5-9) went the distance to pick up the win, allowing nine hits and two runs, one earned, didn't walk any batters and struck out five in seven innings of work.
Game 2 – University of the Ozarks 3, Louisiana College 2
The first inning of game two did not go like the Wildcats wanted as Ozarks scored all three of their runs with two outs in the frame to take a 3-0 lead.
It took until the sixth inning for the Wildcats to finally cut into that lead as
Shaye Tredinich launched a liner down the left field line that skirted over the top of the fence for a two out, solo home run to make the score 3-1.
LC got a two-out rally going in the seventh that looked to salvage the contest. After the first two batters got out,
Breanna Newman found the right-center gap for a double to bring the tying run to the plate. And
Briley Johnston got the job done as she dropped a base hit to center and Newman beat the throw home to make it 3-2 while Johnston took second on the throw to get herself in scoring position to potentially tie the game. However, a fly out to center ended the game with the tying run standing at second.
Shaye Tredinich's sixth inning home run was her third of the season and accounted for her lone RBI and run scored. She was one-for-two and was also hit by a pitch.
Breanna Newman was one-for-one with a double, scored a run, and was hit by a pitch.
Briley Johnston went one-for-four with a RBI.
CeCe Pace (1-7) threw 5.1 innings and gave up seven hits and three runs, all earned, with no walks and three strikeouts.
Miah Broussard came in and on her first pitch induced a double play as she got all four batters she faced out to finish the game working 1.2 innings with two strikeouts.
The Wildcats (12-22, 6-15 ASC) begin senior weekend and the final weekend of the regular season on Friday as #8 Belhaven comes to Pineville for a season-ending three-game set. First pitch of Friday's single game against the Blazers (27-8, 19-5 ASC) is set for 5:00 P.M. at Wildcat Park.
