Sam Houston State Survives in Southland Softball Tournament
Southland Conference
Box Score | Photos | Highlights
NATCHITOCHES, La. – No. 3 seed Sam Houston State finished its third game Friday in victorious fashion with a 5-1 win over No. 6 seed Southeastern Louisiana at the Southland Conference Softball Tournament at the Lady Demon Softball Complex in Natchitoches, La.
Sam Houston State jumped on the scoreboard early with two runs in the first inning after opening the game with three consecutive hits. Tori Benavidez started the game with her fifth triple of the season and scored on the very next play when Alyssa Coggins ripped a single to centerfield. Kim Damian hit her seventh double of the season to put runners on second and third for the Bearkats. Coggins then scored the second run when Hillary Adams grounded into a fielder’s choice.
The Bearkats would increase its lead to 5-0 after four innings. Sam Houston scored two in the second and one in the fourth all off wild pitches from pitcher Kati Morse.
The Lady Lions would get one run back in the fifth inning when Kelsey Nichols singled up the center with the bases loaded, but Southeastern could not get any more runs across. Even though the Lady Lions tallied nine hits in game, they could only get one run.
Haley Baros earned the win for the Bearkats to improve to 10-8. Baros went five innings and gave up one run on nine hits and struck out one hitter. Jessie Browne picked up the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. Browne gave up two runs on three hits and did not retire a batter.
Sam Houston State (35-23) advances to face Central Arkansas tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in an elimination game with the winner moving to play Northwestern State in the championship game at 2:05 p.m. Southeastern Louisiana concludes its 2013 campaign with a 32-22 overall mark.
Postgame Quotes
Sam Houston State Coach Bob Brock
On defeating Southeastern Louisiana…
“Our offense kind of shutdown tonight but we got the victory. Haley Baros did another good job for us in the circle just like she has done for us all year on Sundays. It has been a long day but we are still playing tomorrow.”