COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team doubled up #15 Reinhardt in hits in the team's finale at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic but couldn't get the runs across to pull another upset, falling 4-3 in eight innings to the Eagles Sunday at the South Commons Softball Complex.
 
Louisiana Christian (8-9, 0-3 RRAC) was first to the scoreboard in the contest. In the bottom of the third inning, the Wildcats led off the frame with a pair of base hits, though a subsequent pair of ground balls meant there were now runners on first and second with two outs. Isabella Battaglia would not let the opportunity go to waste, shooting a base hit back up the middle to score Maci Baldwin from second, putting the Wildcats ahead.
 
Battaglia then baited the Eagle defense into trying to get her out, opening the door for Lexi Broussard to race in from third to make it 2-0 LCU before Battaglia was tagged out to end the inning.
 
That lead did not last long, however, as Reinhardt hit a two-run home run to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning. That's the way to score remained all the way into the extra inning.
 
With the international tiebreaker (ITB) rule in effect, both teams started the eighth inning with a runner at second base. Reinhardt sacrificed their runner to third and, following a walk and a stolen base which put a second runner in scoring position, got it in on a sacrifice fly to take their first lead of the game. The other runner moved to third on the sac fly and the pivotal second run came home as LCU was able to get to a fly ball in right field, giving the Eagles a 4-2 lead.
 
The Wildcats got their chance in the bottom of the eighth and Hannah Harrison was brought in to start the inning at second base. She took third on a wild pitch and came home on Madelyn Bourgoyne's base hit to left with one out, cutting the deficit to 4-3. But back-to-back strikeouts ended the game with the tying run still standing on first base.
 
Mariel Medrano and Bourgoyne both got two hits in the contest. Medrano was 2-for-3 with a walk and stole a base. Bourgoyne was 2-for-4 with a RBI and stole a base as well.
 
Battaglia was 1-for-4 with a RBI.
 
Baldwin was hit by a pitch and scored a run while Broussard was 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored.
 
The Wildcats finished the game with eight hits as a team.
 
Olivia Falcon (3-3) threw all eight innings in the circle for LCU, allowing just four hits and four runs, just two earned, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
 
The Wildcats wrap up the NFCA Leadoff Classic 2-3 on the weekend and now return home to resume Red River Athletic Conference play on Friday as Xavier makes the drive up from New Orleans to Pineville for a three-game set. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader against the Gold Nuggets (3-11, 0-3 RRAC) is set for 2 p.m. at Wildcat Park.