Softball: March 22 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Lamar 11, UIW 7
Lamar 4, UIW 3
Central Arkansas 7, Abilene Christian 6
No. 6 Oklahoma 3, McNeese State 0
Southeastern Louisiana at Stephen F. Austin, Cancelled (Weather)
Lamar 11, UIW 7
Lamar 4, UIW 3
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Lamar Lady Cardinals keep finding a way to win in the Southland Conference.
The Lady Cardinals swept a doubleheader from Incarnate Word by scores of 11-7 and 4-3 on Sunday, using an offensive outburst in the first game and some good pitching and a big defensive play to win the nightcap.
Lamar (16-11 overall, 9-0 Southland) raced out to a 9-0 lead after three innings before holding on for the win in the first game. Shannon Sain had three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored for Lamar in the opener, while Stephanie Meeuwsen and Jenna Holland each added two hits and three RBIs.
I'm excited that we're 9-0 in conference," Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. "We got our offense going in the first game, and did what we needed to in the second game."
Incarnate Word (3-23, 0-9) battled back from that early deficit with five runs in the fourth inning to make a game of it. Lamar added two big insurance runs in the sixth, with the big hit a triple by Holland. Those two runs proved to be important, as UIW scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on first and third when starting pitcher Laura Napoli (11-6) finished off the complete game by getting Katie Helm to ground out to end the game.
Lamar held on in the second game after building a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Casey Cromwell homered for Lamar in the fifth inning, her school-record 17th home run of her career to make it 2-0. Lamar made it 4-0 in the sixth on a two-run single by Marissa LeJune before UIW made things interesting once again.
UIW scored two runs in the sixth as Lindsey Hood tripled a home a run before scoring on a single by Alex Alonzo.
In the seventh, back-to-back Brooke Dubois and Natalie Duron made it 4-3 with one out. Napoli came on in relief of starter Lauren Dannelley (5-5) and promptly got the second out before a passed ball, a walk and a stolen base put runners on second and third.
Kellen Robles, who had re-entered for Duron was thrown out at home after getting a late start on a pitch that got past catcher Brynn Baca, who retrieved the ball and fired it to Napoli who put the tag on a sliding Robles to end the game and continue Lamar's hottest-ever start in Southland play.
Shannon Sain had hits in both games to extend her streak of reaching base safely to 20 straight games, tying the school record held by Stephanie Meeuwsen and Beverly Corry. Meeuwsen had her steak of reaching base safely end at 20 games after going hitless in the nightcap. Meeuwsen also reached base safely in 20 straight games last year as well.
Lamar has a huge Southland Conference series next weekend, as it hosts Northwestern State, which is 8-0 in the conference. The teams play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Friday and a single game at 2 p.m. Saturday.
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Central Arkansas 7, Abilene Christian 6
ABILENE, Texas – The Central Arkansas Bears took the field for the final game of their Southland Conference series against Abilene Christian. The Bears came from behind for the third time this weekend, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to secure the sweep with a 7-6 victory.
The Bears (21-7, 9-0 SLC) opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning, getting a leadoff walk from second baseman Sarah Bigej. Catcher Jessie Taylor put Central Arkansas on the board, launching her seventh home run of the season to right-centerfield to put the Bears up 2-0. Left fielder Hannah Stirton followed with a single and designated player moved her to third with a double to left field. Shortstop Hayley Parker then lofted a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Stirton and make it 3-0 in favor of the Bears.
Abilene Christian (5-21, 1-8 SLC) cut into the UCA lead in the bottom half of the frame, when first baseman Alyson Bischoff picked up an RBI groundout to cut the Bears’ lead to 3-1.
Bigej immediately got the run back for the Bears, leading off the top of the fifth with her second home run of the season.
The Wildcats took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of UCA errors to score five runs, four of which were unearned, to take a 6-4 lead.
After both teams went scoreless in the sixth inning, the Bears found themselves down to their final three outs. Bigej got things started for UCA, picking up her second leadoff hit of the day with a single to left-center. Following a flyout and a strikeout, Pratt reached on an error and Parker drew a walk to load the bases. Pinch hitter Bailey Reynolds came through for the Bears, ripping a triple to left field to empty the bases and put the Bears up 7-6.
Bigej led the Central Arkansas offense, going 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI, while Pratt was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Shivaun Landeros got the start for the Bears, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and a walk in 4.0 innings. She struck out two and took a no decision. Kayla Gomness threw one-third of an inning, allowing four runs, just one earned, on four hits. Kylee Studioso (17-3) picked up the win in relief, holding the Wildcats hitless in 2.2 innings and striking out six. Emily Seidel started for ACU, giving up four runs on five hits and five walks in 4.0 innings. Julia Montoya (2-5) took the loss in relief, giving up three unearned runs on two hits and two walks in 3.0 innings. She struck out two.
The Bears will step out of SLC play Wednesday, travelling to Monroe, Louisiana to take on the University of Louisiana at Monroe at 5:00 PM. UCA will then return to conference play next weekend, hosting Nicholls at Farris Field. The Bears and the Colonels will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday, before wrapping the series up with a single game at noon on Sunday.
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No. 6 Oklahoma 3, McNeese State 0
BATON ROUGE, La. – Sixth ranked Oklahoma needed just one inning to score all its runs in a 3-0 win over McNeese at LSU Tiger Park Sunday.
“I’m Proud of how the kids competed all week. They grinded all week in a lot of games and tough opponents,” said head coach Joanna Hardin. “We have had a lot of adversity but the kids have been resilient, we are getting better every day. We still haven’t reached our potential.
McNeese (23-10) managed only two hits off singles by Marisa Taunton and Dakota Matiko. The two hits were back-to-back hits to lead of f the third inning. A sacrifice bunt by Taylor Goree moved Taunton to third and Matiko to second. McNeese was unable to score after Lauren Langner flew out to left and Emily Vincent grounded out the short to end the threat. Taunton was also hit by a pitch and stole second base in the fifth.
OU’s Kelsey Arnold led the fifth off with a triple to centerfield after Langner misplayed a routine fly ball. Arnold scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Nicole Pendley for a 1-0 OU lead. A two run home run by Paige Parker extended the OU lead to 3-0.
The Sooners improved to 24-5 on the year and pitcher Paige Parker improved to 11-3 on the year with the shutout.
Emily Vincent fell to 9-2 on the year despite throwing a good game. Vincent three five innings and gave up six hits, struck out three and walked four.
“Emily threw extremely well today, she owned the circle and competed with guts. I’m proud of her approach against their lineup; she definitely grew up today, said Hardin.
“I think there is a lot of parity in the game and we believe we can compete with the best in the country. We are excited about our schedule because we know every game is preparing us for the postseason.”
Sophomore Rachel Smith relieved Vincent and threw the final inning, giving up two hits.
McNeese will travel to Texas next Wednesday for a non-conference game before returning to conference play for a three-game series at Abilene Christian on the weekend.
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