COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team earned a split decision against a pair of teams receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 25, falling to the (RV) Coastal Georgia Mariners, 4-3, before knocking off the (RV) Freed-Hardeman Lions, 9-3, Friday afternoon in day one of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic at the South Commons Softball Complex.
 
Game 1 – (RV) Coastal Georgia 4, Louisiana Christian 3
 
After a three-hour delay to let the fields dry following overnight rains, Louisiana Christian (7-7) was battling from behind quickly in the first game of the day as Coastal Georgia (11-1) opened the scoring off a RBI single in the top of the first inning. The Mariners extended their lead with a sacrifice fly in the third to go up 2-0 before the Wildcats found a response in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Mariel Medrano reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, was sacrificed over to third, and came home on a wild pitch to get LCU on the scoreboard. That started a bit of a two-out rally for the Wildcats as Lexi Broussard dropped a base hit into center and then Isabella Battaglia brought her home with a double to left to tie the score at 2-2 after three complete.
 
A big, two-out rally in the sixth inning gave Coastal Georgia the lead bac, but LCU was quick to answer with a rally with two away of its own. With two down, Myah Talbert drew a base on balls. With Sydney Viallon taking Talbert's spot on the base paths, Kate Daigle ripped a double to the fence in left-center, allowing Viallon to come all the way around from first to get the Wildcats back within one.
 
But the comeback wasn't to be as Daigle was left stranded in the sixth. Maci Baldwin led off the seventh with a double as well, but she too would remain on the bases at game's end.
 
Baldwin, Battaglia, and Daigle each had two hits in the game against the Mariners. Baldwin was 2-for-2 with both hits being doubles and was hit by a pitch/
 
Battaglia was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI, and a stolen base.
 
Daigle was 2-for-3, also hitting a double and knocking in a run.
 
Katelyn Carpenter (0-1) went 5.2 innings in the circle for the Wildcats, allowing seven hits and four runs, all earned, with three strikeouts and three walks.
 
Addison Bailey finishing the last 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit and no runs with no walks or strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – Louisiana Christian 9, (RV) Freed-Hardeman 3
 
Just like in game one, the Wildcats would have to battle from behind quickly as (RV) Freed-Hardeman (2-2) plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead before LCU came to bat for the first time.
 
But this time, the Wildcats had a much quicker response, thanks in part to a Lion miscue. Medrano started the inning reaching safely due to a bad throw by the Lion pitcher. She was sacrificed over the second base, moved to third on Broussard's base hit to left, and scored on a wild pitch.
 
Broussard moved to second as Battaglia drew a free pass on ball four, went to third on the wild pitch which scored Medrano, and came home on Christina Curtis's ground ball to shortstop as FHU couldn't make the relay fast enough to turn two, tying the score at 2-2 after the first inning.
 
It was Broussard again who gave the Wildcats the lead in the third inning. With one out, she beat out an infield single to the shortstop, stole second, and raced home on Battaglia's base hit to left, putting LCU up 3-2.
 
LCU extended its lead in the fourth. Madelyn Bourgoyne started the frame with a double to left. She was sacrificed over to third and came home on Cecilia Bookman's base hit to center.
 
Bookman was forced to second when Talbert was hit by a pitch. Both base runners moved up on a wild pitch, and both moved up one more base again, with Bookman scoring, on Medrano's base hit to center for a 5-2 LCU lead after four.
 
Freed-Hardeman pulled one back in the top of the sixth, but the Wildcats got that one back and pulled away further in the bottom of the inning as LCU took advantage of some wayward pitching. With one out, Talbert reached base as the FHU shortstop couldn't handle the ground ball. With Viallon running for Talbert, Medrano was hit by a pitch, Baldwin was walked, and then Battaglia was walked to force in Viallon.
 
Curtis then delivered the big blow, a base hit right back up the middle which scored both Medrano and Baldwin. The game's final run came on a wild pitch which gave Battaglia the chance to come in from third for the 9-3 final.
 
Broussard and Bourgoyne were the only Wildcats with multiple hits in the nightcap.
 
Bourgoyne went 2-for-4, both hits being doubles, and a run scored.
 
Broussard was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and scored twice.
 
Medrano was 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch, knocked in a run, and scored twice.
 
Curtis was 1-for-4 and drove in three runs.
 
Bookman had a RBI and a run scored.
 
Olivia Falcon (3-2) picked up the win in the circle as she threw the first 5.1 innings of the contest, allowing eight hits and three runs, two earned, with three strikeouts and one walk.
 
Bailey returned to the circle for a spell in game two, facing just two batters and getting them both out.
 
Malee Stanley finished the contest by throwing the seventh inning with the only batter who reached safely doing so on an error.
 
The Wildcats continue the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Saturday, taking on both the United States Sports University and #24 Rio Grande. First pitch of the game against the Eagles (0-9) is set for 2:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. CST while the game against the #24 Red Storm (5-3) is set for 5 p.m. EST/4 p.m. CST. All games of the NFCA Leadoff Classic are being played at the South Commons Softball Complex, home of the 2026 NAIA Softball World Series.