PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team took home a pair of convincing wins on day one of the Generals Showdown, run-ruling the Texas A&M-San Antonio Jaguars 13-4 in five innings before knocking off the Central Baptist Mustangs 3-1 Friday afternoon at the Ward 9 Sportsplex.
 
Game 1 – Louisiana Christian 13, Texas A&M-San Antonio 4 (5 innings)
 
Louisiana Christian (4-1) struck first in the preview of a future Red River Athletic Conference series. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Maci Baldwin was hit by a pitch. She stole second and took third as the ball squirted away from the Jaguar catcher. She would score on Christina Curtis's base hit back up the middle giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead after one.
 
Texas A&M-San Antonio (2-1) helped LCU extend the lead in the second. Madelyn Bourgoyne's fly ball to center was dropped, allowing her to race all the way to third to lead off the inning. Isabella Battaglia made it pay with a double to the right-center gap, scoring Bourgoyne. Myah Talbert traded places with Battaglia as her double to the left-center gap to make it 3-0 LCU. With two outs, Baldwin extended the lead further as her fly ball down the left field line was deep enough to let Talbert tag up and score for a 4-0 lead after two.
 
The Jaguars started a bit of a comeback, scoring two runs in the top of the third inning to cut the Louisiana Christian lead in half. LCU got one of them back in the bottom half as, with runners on the corners and one out, Talbert stole second and the throw from the catcher went into the outfield, allowing Bourgoyne to come in from third. It was 5-2 Wildcats after three.
 
TAMUSA added more pressure in the fourth, scoring two more runs to pull back within one at 5-4. But then the LCU offense exploded in the bottom half with the help of some Jaguar miscues.
 
With Lexi Broussard on third and one out, Curtis shot a base hit through the left side, allowing Broussard to come home. Kylie Duplan, pinch running for Curtis, stole second and came home on Cecilia Bookman's base hit up the middle. Sydney Viallon, pinch running for Bookman, stole second and scored on Battaglia's shot back up the middle to make it 8-4.
 
Bourgoyne, who had been plunked to reach and was at second after Battaglia's hit, moved to third on an infield base hit by Talbert and scored as the ball was thrown away. With the bases now loaded, Battaglia came home on a wild pitch which advanced everyone. Broussard sent a base hit to left, scoring both Mariel Medrano and Talbert.
 
After stealing second and moving to third on a wild pitch, Broussard came home on another Jaguar error to make it 13-4 Wildcats when the inning finally ended after eight LCU runs had scored in the frame.
 
A one-out single was all the offense for the Jaguars in the fifth, enacting the run-rule and bringing the game to its conclusion early.
 
Battaglia led the offense in the opener, getting hits in all three of her official at bats, two of which were doubles. She knocked in two runs and scored twice herself.
 
Curtis went two-for-three with a walk and two runs batted in.
 
Talbert also went two-for-three with a double, a RBI, and two runs scored. She also stole a base.
 
Broussard was one-for-two but also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch. She brought home two runs, scored twice herself, and stole a base.
 
Carly Carpenter (1-0) went 3.2 innings to pick up the win in the shortened contest. She allowed six hits and four runs, all earned, with four strikeouts and one walk.
 
Addison Bailey came on with two outs in the fourth and the tying run on second base induced a ground ball to second to end the threat. She would throw the fifth inning as well to get her first save of the season, allowing just one hit and no runs with two strikeouts and no walks over 1.1 innings of work.
 
Game 2 – Louisiana Christian 3, Central Baptist 1
 
The Wildcats were looking for revenge in the nightcap, trying to get back at Central Baptist (2-3) which had beaten the Wildcats in the LCU Invitational a week ago.
 
After getting the Mustangs in order to start the game, Louisiana Christian came up in the bottom of the first and quickly took the lead. Baldwin starting the bottom of the first with a hit that went up the middle and rolled all the way to the wall for a double. She then took off to steal third and the throw bounced off the CBC shortstop's glove, allowing Baldwin to continue home and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead after one.
 
Central Baptist got that run back in the top of the third inning and the game would remain tied into the fourth inning.
 
In the fourth, Broussard reached on an infield single to third base, stole second, and moved to third on Curtis's hit down the left field line. Bourgoyne lifted a fly ball to center which was deep enough to allow Broussard to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly and give LCU the lead again.
 
With the innings running low, the Wildcats used a two-out rally to add a key insurance run in the sixth. Broussard dropped a base hit down the left field line to reach. She stole second and came around from there to score on Curtis's shot back up the middle for a 3-1 LCU lead. Pitching and defense made it stand as the Wildcats got even with Central Baptist.
 
Broussard led the offense in the nightcap, going two-for-three with two stolen bases and two runs scored.
 
Curtis was also two-for-three with a RBI and stole a base as well.
 
Baldwin went one-for-three with a double, a walk, two stolen bases, and a run scored.
 
Bourgoyne had the team's only other RBI in the contest.
 
After getting the save in game one, Bailey (1-0) picked up the win in the circle in game two. She threw the final four innings, allowing just one hit and no runs with one walk and a strikeout.
 
Katelyn Carpenter got the start and threw the first three innings, giving up five hits and one run, which was earned, with two strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Wildcats wrap up the General Showdown with a pair of games on Saturday. The day starts at 10:30 a.m., taking on the (RV) William Carey Crusaders (2-0) before ending the weekend at 12:30 p.m. against the Mid-America Nazarene Pioneers (1-1). All games of the Generals Showdown are being played at the Ward 9 Sportsplex in Pineville.