PINEVILLE, La. – For the first time since the 2019 season, the Louisiana Christian University softball team will head to the postseason, earned a berth in the conference championship tournament as Olivia Coaker's fourth inning grand slam highlighted a game one run-rule win over Houston-Victoria, 12-4, before dropping game two to the Jaguars in another run-rule result, 8-0, with both games ending after just five innings on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Park.
 
Game 1 – Houston-Victoria 4, Louisiana Christian 12 (5 innings)
 
The Wildcats got themselves out of a big jam right out of the gate as UHV put runners on second and third with just one out, but a line drive to second caught the runner at third too far off the bag and LCU turned two to get out of the inning with no damage done. LCU took advantage of the momentum from that inning-ending double play to take the early lead in the bottom half of the inning. Lexie Marks beat out a grounder to short to lead off with a base hit. After getting sacrificed to second base, she came home on KayeLea Dearmon's base hit into left to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
 
LCU would not be able to get out of a jam in the second inning, however, as the Jaguars responded by taking the lead. With runners on second and third and one out again, a wild pitch allowed the tying run to come in, while another base hit brought in the leading run to make it 2-1 before a pair of ground balls ended the inning with no more damage done.
 
But the Wildcats found their bats in the bottom of the third, busting through with a six-spot in the frame. Jaclyn Deason opened the inning with a walk, then came all the way around as Kayla Dauthier banged the wall in center field with a RBI double to tie the score. KayeLea Dearmon followed her with another base hit to center and Dauthier came in to give LCU the lead for good.
 
With runners now on first and second with still no outs and the starting pitcher now out of the game, Jordan Dauthier kept the rally going with a base hit to left, scoring pinch runner Macy Taylor from second. Now with one out and two runners in scoring position, BreAnna Corkern ripped a base hit back up the middle, plating Desiree Squires from third. LCU kept the aggression up, pulling off a double steal that allowed Jordan Dauthier to successful swipe home. Bella Houck capped the scoring as her fly ball to right allowed pinch runner Stella Shaw to tag up at third base and come home for a 7-2 Wildcat lead when the third inning finally ended.
 
UHV pulled one of those runs back in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats made sure there would be no comeback by adding five more in the bottom half of the inning. After two straight singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out, Jordan Dauthier drove a base hit into center, allowing her sister, Kayla, to come home as the Wildcats moved station-to-station. But that only set the table for the biggest bat in the line-up as Olivia Coaker came up with the bases loaded, and when her at bat ended, they were empty, and four more runs were on the LCU score line as she her hit went over the wall for a grand slam to extend the lead 12-3.
 
Looking to at least force a bottom of the fifth inning by scoring two runs, the Jaguars loaded the bases with no outs and looked good to keep the game alive. Their desires looked almost assured when a passed ball allowed a run to score. But a ground ball to first base turned into a first-to-catcher-to-first double play to keep the game-extending run on the base paths and put two outs on the board in an instant. The next batter watched strike three go by to end the game.
 
KayeLea Dearmon went three-for-three with two RBI and a run scored in the opener. Olivia Coaker and Jordan Dauthier both went two-for-two at the plate. One of Coaker's two hits was the grand slam, her team-leading eighth home run of the season, resulting in all four of her RBI and her one run scored in the contest. Dauthier's two hits resulted in two RBI and she scored twice. Bella Houck went one-for-one with a double and a RBI. Kayla Dauthier went two-for-three with a double, a RBI, and scored twice. Desiree Squires went one-for-one, walked twice, and scored twice. In just four offensive innings, the Wildcats belted out 13 base hits, three of which went for extra bases.
 
Bailey McMillian (10-6) went four-plus innings to pick up the win in the circle. She allowed six hits and four runs, all earned, walked six and struck out one. Miah Broussard came on in the fifth with the bases loaded and no outs, and while a passed ball allowed in a run, the three batters she faced drew a walk, hit into the double play, and struck out looking. She didn't give up a hit, wasn't charged with a run, walked one, and struck out one.
 
Game 2 – Houston-Victoria 8, Louisiana Christian 0 (5 innings)
 
As well as game one went for the Wildcats, game two went the complete opposite way. UHV scored two in the top of the first and the LCU offense could not respond, even though the Wildcats got base runners in all five innings, including runners in scoring position in three of the five, but just couldn't get the hit to force in a run.
 
The Jaguars scored four runs in the fourth to bust the game open, and then added two more in the top of the fifth to put the game in run-rule territory, only to close out the game with a runner who would've extended the game into a sixth inning standing on second base.
 
BreAnna Corkern went one-for-one and was hit by a pitch. Lexie Marks, Bella Houck, and Jordan Dauthier were all one-for-two in the nightcap to account for all of LCU's offense in game two.
 
Addison Greak (2-2) went 4.2 innings and gave up six hits and eight runs, all earned, walked two, and struck out three. Olivia Coaker came on and threw a total of seven pitches to two batters to get the final defensive out for the Wildcats, allowing one hit and no runs with no strikeouts or walks.
 
The Wildcats (26-20, 15-11 RRAC) officially earned their spot in the 2022 Red River Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with the game one win, their first postseason appearance since the 2019 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. They will close out the regular season next Saturday, April 30^th, in a make-up date on the road against Jarvis Christian. First pitch of the doubleheader against the Bulldogs (20-23, 8-16 RRAC) is set for 1:00 P.M. at the Bulldog Softball Field in Hawkins, Texas.