Softball: May 2 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
McNeese State 5, Central Arkansas 1
McNeese State 13, Central Arkansas 2 (5)
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2, UIW 0
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, UIW 0
Lamar 9, Nicholls 7
Lamar 10, Nicholls 2 (5)
Sam Houston State 5, Stephen F. Austin 3
Southeastern Louisiana 5, Northwestern State 4 (13)
Abilene Christian 8, Houston Baptist 4
McNeese State 5, Central Arkansas 1
McNeese State 13, Central Arkansas 2 (5)
CONWAY, Ark. – McNeese softball headed into its doubleheader at Central Arkansas Saturday knowing that the regular season title had been clinched by Northwestern State Friday but an important Southland Conference Tournament no. 2 seed and a first round bye was still up for grabs.
“We played well in every phase of the game today,” said head coach Joanna Hardin. “Our defense played clean and made plays all day. Our pitching staff threw very well, we ran the bases well, and our offense stuck with the game plan and had great success. Everyone is contributing in every game and our energy and enthusiasm is great,” said Hardin.
The Cowgirls clinched the second seed and earned a first round bye in next week’s Southland Conference Tournament with a 5-1 and a 13-2, five-inning doubleheader win over UCA.
“It’s such and honor to be part of this day,” Hardin said. “Lauren breaking the career hits record is such a special piece of McNeese softball history. I’m so proud and thankful to be part of it with her and this team.”
The day was highlighted by senior Lauren Langner, who became McNeese’s career hits leader in game two. Langner was 6 for 8 on the day including a 4 for 4-plate appearance in the second game. Her record setting career 228th hit came in the third inning when she singled to short and beat the throw.
Rachel Smith improved to 12-5 on the season with the game one victory. Smith came close to picking up her second career no-hitter but it was spoiled by a UCA single in the sixth inning. Smith ended the game with six strikeouts and six walks.
Tori Yanitor’s solo home run in the top of seventh inning game one broke a 1-1 tie that gave McNeese a 2-1 lead. The long ball is her third of the season and it kick started the Cowgirls’ four run inning to seal the win. Yanitor had a good day at the plate, going 4 for 5 with three doubles and one home run. She collected 5 RBI on the day and scored three runs.
Smith helped her cause with a single to shortstop then was replaced by pinch runner Marisa Taunton. Taunton moved into scoring position on a stolen base and scored on a double to left center by Hailey Drew. Erika Piancastelli was intentionally walked. A sacrifice by Emily Vincent brought Drew home and a double by Morgan Catron scored Piancastelli.
After UCA took an early 1-0 lead in the nightcap, the Cowgirls scored six runs in the second on six hits including doubles by Yanitor and Piancastelli. McNeese blew the game open with five more runs in the third to extend its lead to 11-1. McNeese knocked around five hits and Yanitor and Piancastelli did most of the damage. Yanitor’s second double of the game and third of the day scored Bryanna Castro and Taylor Schmidt. Piancastelli tripled to right to score Drew for the 11-1 McNeese lead. Two more runs in the fourth inning off a solo home run by Morgan Catron and a RBI fielder’s choice by Dakota Matiko gave McNeese a 13-2 lead.
Senior pitcher Bianca Lilly relieved Vincent in the fifth and calmly struck out Brianna McArthur to end the game.
Vincent improved to 13-5 on the year with the win. Vincent gave up two hits, struck out three and walked two in four innings of work.
McNeese collected 25 hits on the day including 10 against one of the league’s top pitchers in Studioso in the first game. The Cowgirls pounded out 15 hits in the second game against two UCA pitchers.
“UCA is a good ball club so they are going to come out tomorrow and compete. We know it’s going to be a dog fight for seven innings and look forward to a good challenge,” said Hardin.
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2, UIW 0
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, UIW 0
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team swept Incarnate Word today in a doubleheader at Chapman Field to clinch a spot in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament. The Islanders (20-26-1, 15-11 SLC) put together a strong sixth inning to secure a 2-0 win in the first game before shutting the Cardinals (12-39, 4-23 SLC) out 4-0 in the second game.
Prior to the opening game, the Islanders honored seniors Mickayla Cochran, Hayley Galloway and Lindsey Lyles as they competed in their final home games at Chapman Field. Cochran hit 4-for-6 to lead the Islanders' bats while sophomore Liz Carter hit .500 at the plate and earned her second win of the weekend in the circle.
The Islanders will now head to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since 2012 and will await their opponent and seed. The tournament is hosted by Northwestern State on May 6-8 in Natchitoches, La.
Game One
After a scoreless first five innings, the Islanders' bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth with two runs on four hits to take a 2-0 lead. The Islanders held on to win and earn their seventh shutout victory of the season.
Cochran finished 2-for-3 to propel the Islanders' bats while Cosette Hernandez, Mackinzee Griebel, Brittney Morse, Jessica Mendez, Carter and Galloway all chipped in one hit apiece to help the Islanders edge the Cardinals in the hit column, 8-7.
The Islanders put runners in scoring position in the bottom of the second but were unable to push any runs across. Mendez led off the frame with a single through the middle before Carter reached on a Cardinal throwing error. With Islanders on the corners, UIW retired the side to pull out of the jam.
Incarnate Word also threatened to score in the fifth and sixth frames but left five total runners stranded. In the fifth, after a trio of singles with one out, the Islanders escaped after a pair of fly outs. A&M-Corpus Christi's defense was once again stellar in the sixth leaving a pair of Cardinals stranded at second and third.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Islanders came out strong with back-to-back singles by Cochran and Morse. After a sacrifice bunt by Mendez advanced Cochran to third and junior Alyson Bressie, who came in to pinch run for Morse, to second. Carter stepped to the plate and ripped a two-run single through the middle to bring Cochran and Bressie across home plate. Galloway followed with an infield single before a groundout ended the frame.
Incarnate Word put runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, but hurler Stephanie Flores capped the game with her sixth strikeout of the game.
Flores (5-8) earned her third complete game shutout and her fifth win of the season in the Islanders' circle. She allowed seven hits and two walks in seven innings.
Brooke DuBois (5-12) suffered the loss for the Cardinals in six innings. She allowed eight hits and two runs while striking out two batters.
Game Two
The Islanders' bats came out strong in the opening frame with one run on three hits to take an early 1-0 lead. The Islanders maintained their lead before tacking on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth en route to a 4-0 win. It marked the Islanders eighth shutout win of the season and hurler Liz Carter's fifth complete game shutout of the season.
Cochran finished 2-for-3 while Hernandez, Morse, Carter, Bressie and Galloway all collected one hit apiece. A&M - Corpus Christi outhit the Cardinals for the third straight game, 7-4.
Hernandez started things off with a single to right field before being called out at second on a fielder's choice by Griebel. Cochran then drilled an infield single to land Griebel on second. Morse reached on a fielder's choice, but Griebel was called out on the play as Cochran advanced to third on a Cardinal throwing error. With runners on the corners, Carter nailed a RBI single to left center to plate Cochran and give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
Carter retired the first seven Cardinals she faced before Natalie Duron recorded UIW's first hit of the game in the top of the third with a single to right field. The Islanders however escaped the frame leaving two Cardinals stranded.
The Islanders extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth after pushing three runs across on two hits. Morse gave the Islanders momentum as she led off the frame with her 11th home run of the season. She now has 19 career home runs, which ties Katie Evans (2001-04) in second place all-time in the Islanders records. Following the home run, Carter drew a walk, before Bressie came in to pinch hit for Mendez. In just her 11th at-bat this season, Bressie blasted a RBI triple down the left field line to score Carter. Galloway then hit a RBI groundout to first to bring Bressie across home plate for the Islanders' fourth run of the game.
The Islanders held the Cardinals in the final three frames to earn the sweep and a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament.
Carter (14-16) held the Cardinals to just four hits and one walk while striking out three in seven innings.
Kristin Hebert (5-19) took the loss for UIW in the circle. She allowed seven hits, four runs, three of them earned, while walking one in six innings.
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Lamar 9, Nicholls 7
Lamar 10, Nicholls 2 (5)
BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar Lady Cardinals are headed back to the Southland Conference Softball Tournament after sweeping the Saturday doubleheader over Nicholls to close out the regular season.
The Lady Cardinals, who will be making their second tournament appearance in three years since reviving the program at Lamar, punched their ticket to the postseason by rallying for a 9-7 win over the Colonels in the opener. The second game secured the No. 5 spot in the tourney for Lamar, as the Lady Cardinals routed Nicholls 10-2 in five innings.
"That first win was huge for us. It seemed to lift a big weight off of our shoulders," said Lamar coach Holly Bruder, who saw her team snap a six-game skid. "That's the sign of a young team. We were tight in the first game, but we battled back and found a way to win. You could see that we were looser in the second game."
Saturday was Senior Day at the Lamar Softball Complex, but it was a sophomore who stole the show. Brynn Baca went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the opener as she set a school record for hits in a game, and followed that up with two more hits in the nightcap. For the day, Baca was 6-for-7 with a double, five RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.
"I was seeing beach balls up there today," Baca said. "I felt confident at the plate. I knew we needed to win these games."
Lamar trailed 7-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth before scoring five runs in the inning on just one hit. Reliever Jackie Johnson (7-9) took the loss, allowing four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Johnson walked four batters in her short stint, with all four coming around to score. Baca had the only hit of the inning, a two-run single off of starter Hannah Haydel, who re-entered the game to replace Johnson.
Lamar reliever Lauren Dannelley (7-8) picked up the win for Lamar, allowing seven hits and six runs, none earned, in six innings.
"That was the best Lauren has pitched all season," Bruder said. "She came up big when we needed it."
In the nightcap, Lamar trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third before breaking things open with five runs in the inning. Pinch-hitter Taylor Duck blasted a two-run home run to highlight the inning.
Lamar ended the game with four runs in the fifth inning. Fittingly, it was a pair of seniors who ended things as Shannon Sain singled home Taylor Duck to give Lamar an eight-run advantage, putting the run rule into effect.
Freshman Laura Napoli (17-16), who lasted just one inning in the first game, bounced back with a solid effort in the nightcap. Napoli scattered seven hits over five innings, allowing two earned runs, as she tied the single-season school record for wins, set by Shannon Millman in 2013.
Senior Casey Cromwell had three hits -- two doubles and a triple -- on the day for Lamar in her final home games.
After the second game, the Lady Cardinals paid tribute to Cromwell, Duck and Sain, along with graduate assistant pitching coach Jenna Rodriguez for their efforts in building the program.
The Lady Cardinals open up Southland Conference Tournament play at 11 a.m. Wednesday when they take on fourth-seeded Southeastern Louisiana at Northwestern State. The double-elimination tournament is scheduled to run through Friday.
"It was a bitter taste to not go last year after making the tournament in our first year," Bruder said. "We worked hard to get back to the tournament. We want to win some games this time."
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Sam Houston State 5, Stephen F. Austin 3
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston’s seniors went out in style with a victory that included a triple play and a game-winning home run as the Bearkats defeated Stephen F. Austin 5-3 Saturday afternoon to take a Southland Conference softball series from the Lumberjacks.
With the game tied 2-2 and Lumberjack runners on second and third base with no out, senior center fielder Jessica Slater made a diving catch to rob SFA’s Lindsey Campbell of a hit. Both runners had left base so Slater threw to second baseman Dani Allen who in turn tossed the ball to third baseman Peyton Webb for the third out.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, designated player Angelica Gonzales slammed her fifth homer of the season over the wall for the game-winning runs for the Kats. The home run scored first baseman Hillary Adams who had opened the inning with a single and Webb who had been hit by a pitch.
Slater scored Sam Houston’s first run after a base on balls, a stolen base and an RBI single by Adams. Shortstop Alexis Garcia tied the contest 2-2 in the bottom of the third as she led off with a double off the wall in left center then scored on an error.
Freshman Jordan Franks was the winning pitcher in relief for Sam Houston, upping her season mark to 5-6. Senior Haley Baros started and pitcher the first five innings. Tayler Atkinson got the save, retiring the final three SFA batters.
Sam Houston finished the season with a 19-28 record while going 10-15 in Southland Conference play. SFA stands 19-32 for the year and 11-15 in the league.
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Southeastern Louisiana 5, Northwestern State 4 (13)
HAMMOND, La. – The final game of the 2015 regular season for the Southeastern Louisiana softball doubled as the longest in school history.
In the bottom of the 13th inning, sophomore outfielder Sloan Jenkins hit a walk-off two-run double to give the Lady Lion softball team (21-28, 15-10 Southland) a thrilling victory over league regular season champion Northwestern State (33-16, 22-3 Southland) Saturday afternoon at North Oak Park.
The win gives Southeastern some momentum heading into next week’s Southland Conference Tournament, where the Lady Lions will be the No. 4 seed. The tournament is scheduled for May 6-8 in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
The Lady Lions were also to earn a win for its senior class. Seniors Megan Moore, Vanessa Eng, Spencer Adkinson, Teresa Lemos and Tori Stamper all played in the final home games of their careers on Saturday.
“It’s always to go out with a win on Senior Day,” Southeastern head coach Pete Langlois said. “We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made this season and our seniors have been a big part of that.”
Junior Taylor Bishop (14-7) out-dueled NSU freshman Micaela Bouvier (13-5) in a contest that featured two gutsy pitching performances. Bishop threw a single-game school record 13.0 innings, holding the top lineup in the league to two earned runs to earn her 11th Southland Conference win in the circle.
At the plate, SLU was led by junior outfielder Katie Lacour and freshman shortstop Sydney Booker led the Lady Lions with three hits apiece. Lemos and sophomore outfielder Mychal Truxillo chipped in with two hits each.
“Taylor was the pitcher we’ve grown accustomed to today,” Langlois said. “She was really on her game. Mychal gave us a huge boost and of course, Sloan came up huge for us with the clutch hit.”
Bishop and Bouvier matched zeroes until NSU took the lead in the fourth inning. With one out, junior outfielder Natalie Landry lined Bishop’s first pitch over the right centerfield fence to give the Lady Demons a 2-0 lead.
SLU answered in the bottom of the fourth inning. Booker singled, junior designated player Amber Sather was hit and Moore walked to load the bases. Truxillo followed with a sharp single up the middle to plate a pair and knot the score at 2-2.
Bishop and Bouvier would keep the score deadlocked, by pitching out of jams as the innings kept piling up. NSU would finally take the lead in the top of the 12th inning. Freshman catcher Kaytie Proctor was placed on second to start the frame and later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore outfielder Kellye Kincannon.
SLU would not go away, quietly. Jenkins was placed on second to start the bottom of the 12th inning and moved to third on a single by Lacour. One out later, Booker stroked a single through the left side, scoring Jenkins and keeping Southeastern alive.
Northwestern State would retake the lead in the top of the 13th inning, Senior designated player Cassandra Barefield was placed on second and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Landry to take a 4-3 lead.
Southeastern finally ended it in the bottom of the 13th inning. Adkinson was placed on second to start the inning and the Lady Lions loaded the bases on a Truxillo walk and a Lemos single.
Jenkins then lined a 1-0 offering from Bouvier over the head of Landry and off the left field fence. Adkinson and Truxillo would race home, giving Southeastern the dramatic victory. Jenkins’ double ended the longest game in Lady Lion history, outlasting a 12-inning, 1-0 win at Nicholls on March 3, 2004.
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Abilene Christian 8, Houston Baptist 4
HOUSTON, Texas – Senior Emily Seidel overcame a tough first inning and later delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single in the seventh to lead the Abilene Christian softball team to a 8-4 victory over Houston Baptist Saturday at Husky Field.
With a three-game sweep of the Huskies in its pocket, ACU completed its second year of Division I competition with a 14-33 overall record and 8-19 mark vs. the Southland Conference. Although the Wildcats are unaccustomed to such records, it's worth remembering they had to grind their way through the entire year without the services of their best pitcher - sophomore Hannah Null - while utilizing seven or eight freshman as part of the everyday starting lineup.
Even with so much inexperience at the plate and in the field, the Wildcats still posted the league's fifth-highest batting average at .286 and tied for the third-lowest amount of errors with 57. The Wildcats also finished among the upper half in the conference with 359 hits, 17 triples, 36 home runs and 437 slugging percentage.
It's additionally worth noting that head coach Bobby Reeves' crew won five of its last seven, pulled off upset victories against postseason-bound McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana, and held its own against the likes of Baylor, UT-Arlington and several other league opponents.
So even though the start of next season is nine months away, the Wildcats have to feel optimistic about the possibility of flipping their 2015 record as they're expected to bring everyone back with the exception of Seidel, their lone senior.
Seidel had a tough year statistically with the occasional gem mixed in, such as her complete game shutout of Incarnate Word. And even at the start of today it looked like she was headed toward another loss as the Huskies quickly erased a 3-0 deficit as a sacrifice fly was followed by a three-run home run by middle infielder Victoria Granchelli.
More trouble for Seidel came right afterward as center fielder Kay Schroeder reached on an error and Michaela Granchelli doubled to put two more runners in scoring position. Thankfully, Seidel escaped any further damage by getting catcher Caitlin Gunn to ground out to third base.
After teeing off on Seidel throughout the first frame, the Huskies must've thought they'd be able to salvage the final game of this series. But the funny thing about sports is, 'it ain't over 'til it's over,' and the same side that batted around in the first, couldn't get a baserunner past second the rest of the game as Seidel went on to scatter just three more hits while striking out four.
With Seidel feeling a sense of renewal in the circle, the Wildcats began to mount their third comeback of the series in the fifth inning. Freshman left fielder Melissa Rodriguez led off with a single and came home three batters later on the second of two Peyton Hedrick base hits to tie the score at 3-3.
Rookie right fielder Brianna Barnhill then ripped her second hit of the day to keep the inning alive for freshman third baseman Holly Neese, who drove in the go-ahead run (Taylor Brown) with a single to left.
ACU went quietly in the sixth but added three big insurance runs in the seventh, the last two of which were driven in by Seidel during her first and final plate appearance of the season. Pinch hitting for designated player Kaliegh Lightsey with two outs, Seidel delivered a two-run single down the right-field line that plated both Brown and Hedrick.
In the last of the seventh, Seidel got a pop up and ground out before allowing a two-out single to cleanup batter Melissa Herman. The Huskies' designated player then ended the game with a ground ball to Hedrick.
Hedrick's incredible freshman season saw her finish among the Southland Conference top-10 leaders in 10 offensive categories, including each of the triple crown columns (.432-12-45), in addition to doubles (11), triples (5) and stolen bases (12). Her .800 slugging percentage ranked her second only to McNeese's Erika Piancastelli, while her .473 on-base percentage ranked seventh.
Brown had the most triples of any conference player with 11 and tied Hedrick for second with 44 runs scored.
Seidel tied for second in the Southland with 186.0 innings pitched and was sixth with 90 strikeouts.
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