PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team wrapped up a successful weekend in the Generals Showdown with a split on Saturday, dropping the opener to the (RV) William Carey Crusaders 4-0 before shutting out the Mid-America Nazarene Pioneers, 3-0, to end the day at the Ward 9 Sportsplex.
Game 1 – (RV) William Carey 4, Louisiana Christian 0
Louisiana Christian (5-2) held tight with a team that is consistently atop the NAIA softball rankings in (RV) William Carey (4-0).
The Crusaders scored one in the top of the first inning, but Wildcat pitching and defense held WCU at bay all the way to the final inning where the Crusaders opened it up with three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
LCU's offense was held to three hits with
Mariel Medrano,
Lexi Broussard, and
Isabella Battaglia each getting one. Battaglia also drew a walk, as did
Myah Talbert.
Addison Greak (2-1) picked up the hard-luck loss as she threw 3.2 innings and allowed six hits and one run, which was earned with three walks and one strikeout.
Olivia Falcon came on in relief and gave up four hits and three runs, all earned, over 3.1 innings of work with one strikeout and one walk.
Game 2 – Louisiana Christian 3, MidAmerica Nazarene 0
After getting MidAmerica Nazarene (2-2) in order in the top of the first, the Wildcats struck in the bottom half. Medrano led off with a base hit, stole second, was sacrificed over to third by
Maci Baldwin, and came home on Christian Curtis's two-out single to right for a 1-0 lead.
LCU added to the advantage in the fourth. Broussard started the inning with a hit over the left fielder's head which bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. She would steal third and come home on Curtis's ground ball to first, which was mishandled, to make it 2-0 Wildcats.
Madelyn Bourgoyne started the sixth with a hit down the left field line. She stole second and moved to third on
Naya Soto's base hit to center. That set up
Emily Marks, who did her job by lifting a fly ball to center which was deep enough for Bourgoyne to tag up and score the insurance run, giving LCU a 3-0 lead, which the defense made stand up in the top of the seventh inning.
Six different Wildcats all got one hit in the nightcap. Broussard and Marks got LCU's two RBI while Broussard also got the team's lone extra base hit in the contest, the ground-rule double.
Medrano stole three bases and scored a run while Baldwin picked off two more, taking advantage of being walked twice.
Falcon (1-1) got her first win and first complete game shutout as a Wildcat against the Pioneers, throwing all seven innings and allowing six hits with no runs, striking out five with two walks.
The Wildcats get more than a week off before heading to Hattiesburg, Miss., looking to avenge this morning's loss to (RV) William Carey by taking on the Crusaders in a doubleheader. First pitch of the twin-bill against WCU is set for 3 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 17 at Joseph & Nancy Fail Field.
