Softball: May 1 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Northwestern State 3, Southeastern Louisiana 0
Northwestern State 13, Southeastern Louisiana 3 (6)
Abilene Christian 4, Houston Baptist 3
Abilene Christian 5, Houston Baptist 1
Stephen F. Austin 3, Sam Houston State 2
Sam Houston State 2, Stephen F. Austin 1
Nicholls 5, Lamar 2
Texas A&M-Corpus Christ 5, UIW 1
Northwestern State 3, Southeastern Louisiana 0
Northwestern State 13, Southeastern Louisiana 3 (6)
HAMMOND, La. – Northwestern State softball pitcher Mikayla Brown was dominant in the circle, leading Northwestern State to its first Southland Conference regular-season championship since 2000, with a 3-0 Game 1 victory against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday afternoon.
The freshman righty, who was just four years old the last time NSU claimed the crown, tossed the complete game, allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out one.
“I’m really proud of how we battled,” seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said. “Now, we’ve got to keep this momentum going into next week. Hopefully we can put it all together at the end of the year and have a great tournament.”
With the win, NSU also clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s Southland Conference Tournament, which takes place May 6-8 at the Lady Demon Diamond.
“They keep making adjustments and that’s what you’ve got to do,” Pickett said. “They had a plan coming in. They threw four different pitchers at us today and we saw a lot of different looks. I am proud of those adjustments we made.”
The Lady Demons (33-15, 22-2 SLC) continued their hot streak, downing the Lady Lions (20-28, 14-10 SLC) 13-3 in six innings in Game 2. The 13 runs were the most in an NSU game since the Lady Demons defeated Houston Baptist 15-4 on March 14.
In Game 1, Southeastern Louisiana starter Spencer Adkinson held the Lady Demons off the scoreboard until the sixth. In the frame, Kellye Kincannon got NSU going with a single through the right side. One batter later, Cassandra Barefield roped a single to left. After Brittney Jones, bounced into a fielder’s choice, Natalie Landry singled up the middle to score a hustling Barefield.
The two-out damage continued with NSU’s fourth hit of the frame, this one, a single to center from Mikayla Sorosiak to score Landry and Jones for the 3-0 advantage.
Adkinson dropped to 3-5 in the circle on the season while Brown moved to 11-2.
“They were trying to mix speeds on us and we were able to get that one big inning where we got three runs,” Pickett said. “Mikayla Brown pitched another great game and kept us in the game.”
In the day’s finale, Northwestern State put up a five-spot in the sixth inning, highlighted by Kaytie Proctor’s fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot that plated Micayla Sorosiak, pushing the lead to 13-3.
NSU jumped ahead early. After Kincannon doubled to left center, Barefield brought the sophomore in on a two-bagger of her own in the opening frame.
Two innings later, Kincannon doubled again, knocking in Sidney Salmans, who also doubled. Then, Cassandra Barefield launched a two-run home run over the center field wall to put the Lady Demons ahead 4-0.
The Lady Lions bounced back for three of their own in the bottom half of the third, helped a trio of Lady Demons errors. Designated player Amber Slather drove in a pair of the runs with a double to right center.
Continuing the theme of back-and-forth play, NSU grabbed a pair back in its half of the fourth. The speedy Salmans picked up her second triple of the season, plating Hailee Rhodes from first. One batter later, Salmans scampered home on a passed ball, upping the lead to 6-3.
In the fifth, NSU added two more runs on two hits and a Lady Lions error. Barefield singled to left and moved to second on an error from the left fielder to lead off the frame. Two batters later, Landry singled home the designated player on a liner to left. Two batters later, Landry came around to score on a Kaytie Proctor sacrifice fly to left.
NSU continued to pour it on in the sixth. Kincannon lined her third triple of the year to right center, plating Virgoe who reached on a hit by pitch. A Barefield double to left field, scoring Kincannon, accounted for the tenth run of the game. After Kayla Boening pinch ran at second, she advanced to third on a Jones ground out and used her speed to make it 11-3 on a shallow fly out to right field making way for Proctor’s two-run blast.
Micaela Bouvier (13-4) earned the win, going the distance, allowing three runs, all unearned, and five hits while walking one and striking out two.
Southeastern starter Madison Vige’ (0-6) drew the loss, lasting just 2 1-3, allowing three runs and five hits while striking out three.
The squads conclude their three-game set with the regular-season finale on Saturday at noon.
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Abilene Christian 4, Houston Baptist 3
Abilene Christian 5, Houston Baptist 1
HOUSTON, Texas – Junior pitcher Julia Montoya won both ends of Friday's doubleheader at Houston Baptist as a starter and reliever, totaling 9.2 innings in which she allowed just one unearned run.
ACU had to come from behind in each contest, winning game one, 4-3, and the nightcap, 5-1. The twinbill sweep was ACU's first against a Southland Conference opponent this spring and the two sides will conclude their series Saturday at noon.
Freshmen Brianna Barnhill, Peyton Hedrick and Kaleigh Lightsey led the Wildcats' offense today with three hits each.
Game One Recap - Abilene Christian 4, Houston Baptist 3
Hedrick and Barnhill hit back-to-back home runs, and Montoya pitched her way out of a seventh-inning jam with runners at the corners in leading the Wildcats to a 4-3 victory.
The win was Montoya's seventh of the season as she closed the game with 2.2 scoreless innings pitched with two hits allowed.
ACU started the game in a 3-1 hole after 3.0 innings, but tied the score thanks to consecutive home runs off the bats of Hedrick and Barnhill with one out in the fifth. Hedrick's home run was her 12th of the season and sailed over the wall in left-center, while Barnhill's eighth of the year traveled to dead center.
The Wildcats scored their go-ahead run in the sixth on a one-out error by the Huskies' second baseman Victoria Granchelli. Designated player Kaleigh Lightsey led off with a double to left against starter Laci Belovsky, and two batters later she raced home after Melissa Rodriguez' roller to second base was overthrown.
Montoya played the role of escape artist a few times today, starting in the fifth where she came in for Emily Seidel with a runner at second and one out. Montoya uncorked a wild pitch to push the runner to third and then walked a batter with two gone before getting the No. 3 batter Nicole Shedd to foul out to first base.
Then in the sixth, the Huskies put two aboard with one out only to see Montoya get Belovsky to pop up to second and center fielder Kay Schroeder end the inning with a foul ball to Hedrick.
Catcher Caitlin Gunn dropped a bunt single to lead off the seventh and made it all the way to third following a sacrifice hit and stolen base. Montoya then walked Shedd with two outs, but was able to get cleanup hitter Melissa Herman to pop up to Hedrick behind the second-base bag for the game's final out.
ACU jumped ahead 1-0 in the first when Taylor Brown's 11th triple of the year was followed by an error from shortstop Libby Brown, who bobble a ball put in play by Hedrick.
The Huskies, however, came right back in their end of the first as a couple of wild pitches from Seidel allowed No. 1 and 2 hitters Shay Orsak and Granchelli to move around the bases. HBU made it a 3-1 game in the third on a sacrifice fly by Shedd that scored Bauer from third.
Game Two Recap
The Wildcats sprang to life in the late innings after being no-hit for 4.2 innings by Houston Baptist starter Shannon O'Connor. ACU tied the score at 1-1 on a RBI single in the fifth by freshman Holly Vanckhoven before sending eight batters to the plate in its game-changing, four-run sixth.
Hedrick got the offense rolling with a one-out double (her 10th of the year) that was followed by a run-scoring single by Barnhill. Then after Kaleigh Singleton flew out to left, the Wildcats strung together three-consecutive base hits, which included a RBI single from freshman Holly Neese and a double to the left-center gap by rookie Baylee Travers.
Montoya put runners on base during all 7.0 innings of her fifth complete game of the season, but surrendered only one unearned run in the third as a throwing error by Neese allowed Orsak to score from second and break the 0-0 tie.
The closest HBU came again to threatening ACU's lead was in the seventh when Bauer smacked a double to left. But a base-running miscue led to her being thrown out a third base by Rodriguez.
Hedrick enters tomorrow's season finale on a 16-game Southland Conference hitting streak.
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Stephen F. Austin 3, Sam Houston State 2
Sam Houston State 2, Stephen F. Austin 1
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Shortstop Alexis Garcia smashed a shot over the left field fence for a two-run walk-off home run to give Sam Houston a split in a Southland Conference softball doubleheader with Stephen F. Austin Friday afternoon.
The Lumberjacks won the first game 3-2 but the Bearkats bounced back for a 2-1 victory in the second. The home run was Garcia’s first of the season and came with the Sam women one out away from a loss. Catcher Tiffany Castillo also scored after reaching first on a fielder choice.
Senior Meme Quinn spread five hits over seven innings as she hurled five scoreless innings after giving up an early run. Quinn upped her season record to 8-6 with the victory in the circle.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, right fielder Sarah Allison blasted a two-out home run over the fence in left center in the bottom of the fourth inning to open scoring in the contest. The homer marked the senior’s ninth ball out of the park for the season and the 31st of her career.
Catcher Taylor Fraccastoro and designated player Lindsay Lewis led off the top of the sixth inning with consecutive singles. Three more singles by third baseman Taylor LeFlore, second baseman Autumn Holloway and right fielder Heather Hollingsworth each brought in a run to put SFA on top 3-1.
Sam Houston cut the margin to one run as catcher Tiffany Castillo singled to score center fielder Jessica Slater in the bottom of the sixth. Slater singled, reached second when Dani Allen was hit by a pitch and reached third on a wild pitch. Pinch runner Ashley Kopps was thrown out at home on the wild pitch as Fraccastoro retrieved the ball and tossed it back to first baseman Shalie Day for the out that kept Slater’s run from tying the game.
The Bearkats were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the opening game. Callee Guffey (11-13) was the winning pitcher for the Jacks, spreading five Bearkat hits over seven innings. Starter Tayler Atkinson (3-9) took the loss. Jordan Franks pitched the final inning and a third in relief.
SFA jumped in front early in the nightcap as center fielder Lindsay Campbell led off the second inning with a double and scored on a single down by right field line by third baseman Taylor LeFlore. But Quinn retired 15 of the next 18 batters she faced to earn the win.
Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin will meet in the regular season finale for both teams at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Softball Complex. Neither squad will be going to the Southland tournament next week. Senior day ceremonies will start 20 minutes before the game.
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Nicholls 5, Lamar 2
BEAUMONT, Texas – Hannah Haydel delivered a complete game four-hitter while Payton Gremillion and Alexis Huss came through with two hits and two RBIs each as the Nicholls State University softball team kept its postseason hopes alive with a 5-2 victory over Lamar Friday night at the Lamar Softball Complex.
With the win, Nicholls (26-20, 12-12 SLC) pulls within one game of Lamar (22-26, 12-10 SLC) in the standings and will need to sweep the Lady Cardinals to reach the postseason. The Colonels entered the series with an outside shot of making the tournament if Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was swept in the its final series, but the Islanders put that scenario to rest with a 5-1 win over UIW on Friday. The Colonels and LU finish up the regular season with a doubleheader set to begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
In Friday night’s game, the Colonels found themselves trailing 2-1 after four innings, but in the fifth, Huss and Gremillion delivered run-scoring hits to put Nicholls up 3-2. Although the Colonels tacked on two more runs in the seventh, neither was needed as Haydel retired the final 13 batters to improve her record to 13-10 on the season.
Lamar spotted Nicholls a run in the first when an error allowed Danielle Phillips, who tripled with two outs, to score on a grounder to third. But the Lady Cardinals tied it up in the bottom half on a RBI single by Sable Hankins.
In Lamar’s third, Haydel issued a leadoff walk and it came back to haunt her as Hankins tallied a two-out double to put LU up 2-1.
Still trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Nicholls pieced together three hits in the frame to take the lead for good. Haley Parkerson started the inning with one of her two hits in the game and she came around to score on a double by Huss, who moved to third on the play after an error. With the go-ahead run 60 feet away, Gremillion singled up the middle off of Laura Napoli (16-16) to put Nicholls in front.
With Haydel cruising in the circle, Parkerson started another two-run inning for the Colonels in the seventh with a leadoff single to left. After stealing second and moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, Parkerson crossed the plate on a Huss single. The next batter, Gremillion, doubled to left center to make the score 5-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Haydel forced two flyouts to left and a groundout to end the game. She finished the game with five strikeouts and walked one.
Napoli took the loss for Lamar, allowing three earned runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. Hankins led LU at the plate with two hits and two RBIs.
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christ 5, UIW 1
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally past Incarnate Word, 5-1, today in the series opener at Chapman Field. After the Cardinals tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth, the Islanders' bats came alive with four hits in the sixth to secure the win.
Senior Hayley Galloway finished 3-for-3 to propel the Islanders' bats (18-26-1, 13-11 SLC) while senior Lindsey Lyles went 2-for-2 and sophomore Liz Carter finished 2-for-3. Junior Cosette Hernandez also chipped in a pair of hits while senior Mickayla Cochran added one hit for the Islanders' offense who outhit the Cardinals (12-37, 4-21 SLC), 10-6.
The Islanders' jumped out to a strong start in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead. Hernandez led off the game with an infield single before sophomore Mackinzee Griebel did her job to advance Hernandez to second with a sacrifice bunt. Cochran then hit a RBI groundout to score Hernandez before the Cardinals escaped the frame with a groundout.
A&M-Corpus Christi maintained its lead as Carter was remarkable in the circle, retiring the first nine Cardinals she faced. Then in the top of the fourth, Taylor Johnson tallied UIW's first hit of the game with a shot down the left field line. She sparked a rally as she scored on a RBI single to center field by Kristin Hebert.
Both teams went neck-and-neck until the Islanders' bats rallied with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. After sophomore Brittney Morse reached on a one-out walk, sophomore Jessica Mendez hit a fly out to right field for the second out. Carter then gave the Islanders momentum as she hit a single to right center to advance junior Alyson Bressie, who came in to pinch run for Morse to third. Carter advanced to second on the throw before Galloway ripped a two-run single through the middle to bring Bressie and Carter across home plate. Lyles then kept the rally going as she followed with a RBI single through the middle to plate Galloway. After Tefft reached on an infield error, Hernandez drilled her seventh double of the season with a shot to left center to score freshman Brianne Trost, who came in to pinch run for Lyles. Freshman Ashleigh Perez then came in to pinch hit for Griebel and hit a groundout to end the frame.
The Islanders held the Cardinals in the top of the seventh to secure the win and move closer to clinching a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament.
Carter (13-16) earned the win in the Islanders' circle. She allowed six hits, one run and two walks while striking out one Cardinal in seven innings.
Kristin Hebert (5-18) suffered the loss for UIW in six innings. She allowed 10 hits, five runs, four of them earned while walking two Islanders.
The Islanders and Cardinals will continue the series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. The Islanders will also honor seniors Cochran, Galloway and Lyles prior to the first game.
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