PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team struggled to find the gaps in the first game of the doubleheader against Xavier, but the ball started to fall in game two as the Wildcats run-ruled the Gold Nuggets in the nightcap, dropping game 1, 5-1, before taking game 2, 13-4, Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Park.
 
Game 1 – Xavier (La.) 5, Louisiana Christian 1
 
Xavier took advantage of an error and kept pressure on the Wildcat defense in the first inning, which resulted in three runs coming across in the frame, though the Wildcats would strand three runners on base in the bottom of the frame.
 
But LCU got one run back in the bottom of the first, through rather non-typical circumstances. With one out, Meredith Perry drew ball four, but with the Gold Nugget catcher unable to find the ball after it got away from her on the ball four pitch, Perry was given the go to keep running to second base, which she arrived uncontested.  Perry moved to third on Kayla Dauthier's ground ball to second base and scored on a wild pitch.
 
Over the next two innings, the LCU defense kept the Gold Nuggets off the board, but the Wildcats could not get the offense in motion as hard-hit balls just happened to find the gloves of Xavier fielders. In the fourth, XULA extended the lead on an aggressive play as a runner scored from second on a bunt base hit right in front of the plate.
 
LCU had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fourth as a hit and an error put Wildcat runners on second and third with just one out, but a ground ball back to the pitcher and an infield pop-up ended the inning with those runners stranded.
 
That missed opportunity was compounded in the fifth as an error allowed another Gold Nugget runner to cross for the game's final run. LCU would get a base runner in the fifth and two more in the sixth, but they would all be stranded as the Wildcats struggled to mount a rally.
 
The Wildcat offense was held to just three hits in game one. Bella Houck went one-for-one with a walk. Desiree Squires went one-for-two and was hit by a pitch. Kayla Dauthier was one-for-three. Meredith Perry drew a walk and scored LCU's lone run in the contest.
 
Miah Broussard (6-2) threw all seven innings, giving up six hits and five runs, four earned, walked four and struck out one.
 
Game 2 – Xavier (La.) 4, Louisiana Christian 13 (5 innings)
 
Defensive struggles allowed the Gold Nuggets jump out to an early lead in game two as well as an error allowed a lead-off base runner who would eventually come in to score on a sacrifice fly, which was the second out of the inning, to put XULA up 1-0 after a half-inning of play.
 
But the bottom of the first saw a big answer from the LCU offense. In her first opportunity in the lead-off spot, Jaclyn Deason dropped a base hit inside the right field foul line to start off the frame. She moved to second on a wild pitch, got to third on ground ball back to the pitcher, and scored on Kayla Dauthier's RBI single through the left side of the infield. After a pair of one-out walks loaded the bases, Olivia Coaker came through with a sharply hit ball through the right side of the infield to score Dauthier and give LCU the lead for good. BreAnna Corkern's ground ball to second turned into a second-to-first-to-shortstop double play, but the reverse nature of the double play allowed KayeLea Dearmon to score before the runner was tagged out at second base, giving the Wildcats a 3-1 lead when the play ended.
 
LCU added to it in the second inning after stranding a runner at second base in the top half. With the bases loaded and one out, Kayla Dauthier's fly ball to left was deep enough to score her sister, Jordan Dauthier, from third. KayeLea Dearmon shot a base into left field, scoring Hailey Vitrano from second base for a 5-1 Wildcat lead.
 
After Xavier got a run back on a two-out, bases loaded hit batter, the Wildcats got that run back and a whole lot more, putting up six runs in the frame to blow the game wide open. It all started with a runner on second and one out as Jordan Dauthier lifted a ball to dead center that bounced off the top of the wall and fell over for a two-run home run. After a base hit and a pair of walks loaded the bases, Kayla Dauthier also watched ball four fly by, forcing home Hailey Vitrano to make it 8-2. KayeLea Dearmon continued her hot streak at the plate, shooting another base hit back up the middle, scoring Jaclyn Deason. McKenzie Montgomery kept it going with another shot back up Broadway, scoring both Meredith Perry and Kayla Dauthier for an 11-2 LCU lead when a double play ended the inning.
 
XULA scored two runs in the top of the fourth to lower the Wildcat lead to seven, but LCU got those two runs back in the bottom half as Jaclyn Deason came up with runners on second and third with one out and shot a base hit up the middle that rolled all the way to the wall for a double, scoring both Hailey Vitrano and Stella Shaw for a 13-4 lead. The Gold Nuggets, needing two runs to avoid the run-rule, got a walk to lead off the fifth, but a ground ball to short turned into a double play and a fly ball to left stayed in play in foul territory, with the catch made to end the game after five innings.
 
Jaclyn Deason and KayeLea Dearmon both went two-for-two at the plate in game two. Deason also drew a walk, stole a base, knocked in two runs and scored twice while Dearmon also drew a walk, also drove in two runs, and scored once. Jordan Dauthier went one-for-two and hit her third home run of the season, drew a walk, stole a base, drove in two runs, and scored twice. Hailey Vitrano went one-for-won at the plate, walked once, was hit by a pitch, stole three bases, and scored three times. Kayla Dauthier went one-for-two with a walk, three RBI, and two runs scored. McKenzie Montgomery went one-for-two with a walk and two RBI. Olivia Coaker went one-for-two with a walk, a RBI, and a run scored. LCU out-hit XULA 10-5 in game two.
 
Bailey McMillian (9-5) went the distance for the complete game win in the circle, giving up five hits and four runs, three earned, walked five and struck out one in five innings of work.
 
The Wildcats (24-16, 13-7 RRAC) now hold a three-game lead over LSU Alexandria for the East Division's second and final guaranteed spot in the RRAC Championship Tournament with eight conference games remaining for both teams, while Xavier is also three games back but only has four RRAC games left on its schedule. LCU returns to action on Tuesday, April 19^th against #13 Texas A&M-Texarkana, who currently holds a three-game lead over the Wildcats for the East Division's top spot. First pitch of Tuesday's doubleheader against the #13 Eagles (32-8, 16-4 RRAC) is set for 2:00 P.M. at Wildcat Park.