HAWKINS, Texas – What was supposed to be a double dip for the Louisiana Christian University softball team turned into a single defining victory before weather moved in as the Wildcats knocked off the Jarvis Christian Bulldogs 3-0 to clinch the two-seed in the RRAC East Division and four-seed overall before weather forced the cancellation of the second game Saturday afternoon at Lady Bulldog Field.
 
The game started as well as one could ask as Emma Hunt started the contest with a double. She moved to third on a passed ball and scored when KayeLea Dearmon rolled a ground ball to second to give LCU the lead.
 
After going through the next three innings scoreless, the Wildcats finally got some breathing room in the fifth. It all got started just like in the first, with a lead-off double, but this one came off the bat of BreAnna Corkern. Lexie Marks took over at second base for Corkern, and promptly stole third base before scoring on a ball that got by the Bulldog catcher. Meredith Perry, who was at the plate watching Marks take two bases, drew a walk to get on. After Perry stole second, back-to-back ground balls allowed her to move up 60 feet, including another RBI grounder to second by KayeLea Dearmon for a 3-0 Wildcat lead.
 
An error with two outs extended the bottom of the fifth and a base hit to left threatened the Wildcat shut out as the Jarvis base runner tried to come all the way home from first base. But Emma Hunt started a perfect relay from left field, getting it quickly to shortstop BreAnna Corkern who threw it on home to catcher Jordan Dauthier and Dauthier applied the tag to gun down the runner, keep the shut out intact, and end the inning.
 
LCU threatened to extend the lead in the sixth, but the bases were left loaded in the top half. However, the defense did its role over the next two innings, getting Jarvis Christian up and down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win.
 
Jordan Dauthier went two-for-three in the game and stole two bases. Emma Hunt went two-for-four with a double, a stolen base, and a run scored. Desiree Squires was also two-for-four with a double. KayeLea Dearmon went one-for-four, but two of her outs scored runs, giving her two RBI in the contest.
 
Bailey McMillian (11-6) had an outstanding game in the circle for the Wildcats, picking up the complete game win, allowing just two hits and no runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.
 
Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was in the top of the third inning, scoreless, when storms got too close to the field, causing a weather delay that extended too long and it became too dark to resume the contest. That game was cancelled and will not be made up.
 
The game one win locked the Wildcats (27-20, 16-11 RRAC) into the two-spot in the RRAC East Division standings and fourth in the overall conference standings with the regular season now complete. The 2022 RRAC Softball Tournament starts on Thursday with LCU kicking it off against in-Parish rival LSU Alexandria. First pitch of Thursday's first round game against the Generals (19-24, 16-12 RRAC) is set for 10:00 A.M. at The Park at St. Mary's on the campus of the University of St. Mary's in San Antonio, Texas.