SOFTBALL: April 22 Scoreboard
Southland Conference
Lamar 7, Central Arkansas 2
Abilene Christian 5, Sam Houston State 2
McNeese State 3, Southeastern 1
Nicholls 1, Northwestern State 0
UIW (2-5), Stephen F. Austin (3-4)
Lamar 7, Central Arkansas 2
CONWAY, Ark. – Ciara Luna struck out a career-high 11 batters as the Lamar University Cardinals moved ever closer to securing a spot in next month’s Southland Conference Softball Tournament with an impressive 7-2 win over host Central Arkansas on Friday night.
Luna improved to 14-4 overall and 9-0 in Southland Conference play as the Cardinals (28-15 overall, 15-4 Southland) set a school record for most conference wins in a season. Luna lowered her ERA to 2.15 overall and 1.29 in the conference.
The Cardinals wasted no time in taking control of this one, building a 6-0 lead after three innings, as they chased Central Arkansas starter Shivaun Landeros after just 2 1/3 innings. Landeros (19-10), who entered the game leading the conference in wins and inning pitched, gave up seven hits and six runs, four earned, in her short stint.
“That’s the best we’ve hit the ball in a while,” LU coach Holly Bruder said. “We got a lot of good swings today.”
LU freshman Kelly Meeuwsen set the tone early as she doubled on the third pitch of the game. Meeuwsen came in later in the inning on an RBI grounder by Brynn Baca to give the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish.
Meeuwsen capped a three-run second inning with her second double of the game to score Maddy Myers to make it 4-0. Meeuwsen, who already holds the LU single-season record with 18 doubles, now has 35 RBIs, equaling the single-season LU mark set last season by Shannon Sain.
The Cardinals added two more in the third inning to provide more than enough support for Luna, who allowed five hits and two unearned runs as she tossed her eighth complete game of the year. The 11 strikeouts are the second most in program history, trailing only Shannon Millman’s 13-strikeout effort at Northwestern State in 2013.
“Ciara did a good job tonight,” Bruder said. “She was getting ahead of hitters the entire game.”
Kelly Meeuwsen led LU with three hits. Stephanie Meeuwsen, Sable Hankins and Myers had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, who reduced their magic number for clinching a tournament berth to one. The Cardinals remain one game behind first-place McNeese State in the chase for the tournament’s top seed with eight conference games remaining.
Briana Whisenhunt and Audrey Pratt had two hits apiece for Central Arkansas (31-16, 12-7), the defending tournament champion.
The series concludes with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday. Both games will air live online at
www.LamarCardinals.com.
“I expect Central Arkansas will make a few changes,” Bruder said. “They are a good team that is well coached. We are going to have to be ready.”
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Abilene Christian 5, Sam Houston State 2
ABILENE, Texas - Abilene Christian softball stranded 11 runners on base through the first 6.0 innings, but everyone came running home in the seventh after junior Casey-May Huff crushed a walk-off grand slam, giving the Wildcats a wild 5-2 win over Sam Houston State Friday night at Poly Wells Field.
The win was ACU's fourth straight to lift its season and conference records to 20-18 and 13-6, while the Bearkats fell to 15-29 and 7-12.
The Wildcats drew eight walks and ripped four hits against Bearkat starter Lindsey McLeod entering the final inning but had little to show for their efforts other than a solo home run by Cara Hoover in the fourth that cut Sam Houston's lead to 2-1.
Twice ACU had left the bases loaded, and in the sixth, the offense couldn't cash in on a pair of two-out walks.
McLeod, however, continued to struggle with her control in the seventh, which led to a leadoff walk to Brianna Barnhill. And after Miranda Herron lined softly to shorstop, designated player Alli Spivey ripped a double to the right-center gap.
Spivey's hit was the Wildcats' first of the game since a Taylor Brown fourth-inning single.
With two runners in scoring position, the Bearkats opted to give an intentional pass to Hoover, hoping that Huff - who was 0-for-2 with a walk at that point - would make an out or end the game on a double play.
The at-bat did not start well for Huff as she appeared to take two outside pitches for called strikes. Then McLeod began to miss the zone again, and rather than risk walking in the game-tying run, she tossed the full-count pitch right into Huff's wheelhouse.
Not only was the home run Huff's first of the season, it also made a winner out of redshirt sophomore Hannah Null, who overcame two third-inning mistakes to pick up her 12th win of the spring.
Null was brilliant to start the game in striking out the Bearkats' No. 3 and 4 hitters with a runner at second base in the first, and in the second she retired the side in order thanks to a leaping catch by shortstop Peyton Hedrick.
She was one out away from 1-2-3 third inning, but a dropped catch at first base allowed Bailey Watson to reach safely, and two pitches later Dani Allen made it a 2-0 game with her second home run of the season.
Allen also singled in the first, but no other Bearkat reached base following her third-inning blast off the left-field light post as Null retired the final 13 batters she faced on only 75 pitches.
In addition to her five Ks, which pushed her past 100 for the season, Null got 11 ground outs and didn't allow a fly ball to the outfield until the seventh.
McLeod tossed 159 pitches in falling to 7-10 on the season.
The Bearkats and Wildcats continue their series Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader.
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McNeese State 3, Southeastern 1
LAKE CHARLES—The McNeese softball team grinded it out here Friday night and took advantage of two Southeastern Louisiana miscues late in the game to come away with a 3-1 win in the opening game of the Southland Conference series.
McNeese (31-16, 16-3 SLC) trailed the Lady Lions 1-0 after the first inning. Southeastern La. (22-25, 5-14 SLC) took the early lead off Cowgirl starter Emily Vincent who gave up two of her eight hits in the first inning.
Southeastern Louisiana’s Caitlyn VanHemelryck held the Cowgirls in check for the first three innings after retiring the first nine batters she faced.
“We didn’t play our best softball tonight but sometimes you just have to grind out seven innings and compete, “ said head coach Joanna Hardin.
McNeese spoiled the potential perfect game in the fourth inning when Hailey Drew reached base with two outs after being hit by a pitch. That seemed to be the play that got things going for the Cowgirls. Morgan Catron’s single to right center sent Drew to third but both players were left stranded after a ground out ended the inning.
Southeastern La. threatened to score in the fifth when Jaquelyn Ramon singled with two outs and stole both second and third. Vincent got Kinsey Nichols to go down swinging to keep the game to a one run lead.
McNeese tied game in the bottom of the inning when Taylor Goree drew a one out walk and moved into scoring position on a single to left by Shanice Hagler. Goree would move to third on a sacrifice bunt by Justyce McClain. Next was Erika Piancastelli who had struck out and grounded out her two previous at bats, only this time SE La. decided to intentionally walk her which turned out in disastrous for the Lady Lions and a momentum change for the Cowgirls. On the fourth pitch to Piancastelli, the catcher missed the ball and Goree broke on the play and slid in safely at home to tie the game at one all.
Southeastern La. was looking to regain the momentum but it was Goree again who fielded a ground ball that richoted off Vincent’s glove, touched second base and fired to Hagler at first for the double play to get the Cowgirls out of the inning.
“Taylor Goree was outstanding in all areas tonight,” said Hardin. “When she scored on the intentional walk pass ball it completely shifted the momentum- it was such a heads up play and exactly what we needed at that point in the game. She then turned around the next inning and turns a key double play to get us out of the inning.”
The Cowgirls took the lead in the sixth when Catron led the inning off with a single and one batter later went to third on a double by Vincent. Catron scored the go ahead run on a squeeze bunt by Goree for the 2-1 lead. Catron would also score on the play on an error to add an insurance run and a 3-1 McNeese lead.
“Taylor has been playing at a very high level all year. Her performance tonight shows all the work and time she has invested over her career.”
McNeese picked up four hits with two coming from Catron. Vincent and Goree had the other Cowgirl hits.
Vincent (12-2) allowed eight hits, struck out six without allowing a walk to earn the complete game victory.
Vanhemelryck fell to 4-6 on the year after giving up three runs, two earned on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The teams will play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday to conclude the series.
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Nicholls 1, Northwestern State 0
THIBODAUX, La. – Senior Hannah Haydel tossed her first career no-hitter and Jessica Taylor provided the offense with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth as the Nicholls State University softball team won 1-0 on ‘90s Night’ against Northwestern State on Friday at the Colonel Softball Complex.
Haydel, who has flirted with several no-hitters in her career, blanked Northwestern State’s high-powered offense while striking out seven. The only two runners to reach base were on a hit batter on the first pitch of the game and a two-out error in the sixth. In the seventh, Nicholls received some great glove work by freshman Amanda Gianelloni for the first two outs before senior Danielle Phillips caught a fly ball in center field to secure the no-hitter.
With the win, Nicholls improved to 31-14 overall and 14-4 in league play. The Colonels and Northwestern State (24-20, 7-12) will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader at noon.
The Colonels had six hits in the win, led by two each from Veronica Villafranco and Alexis Huss. Gianelloni had a single in the first inning off of Micaela Bouvier (13-8), who pitched all six innings for the visitors. Bouvier struck out three in the loss and stranded seven runners on base.
Three of the hits came in the seventh, started on a one-out single up the gut by Villafranco. Huss followed suit with a single up the middle and Brooke Morris reached on a fielder’s choice as NSU threw out the lead runner on third for the second out. On a 1-0 pitch, Taylor slapped a single over the short stop which allowed pinch runner Kasey Frederick to score from second for the 1-0 lead.
The lone run proved to be all Haydel needed as she upped her record to 16-7 on the year. After hitting the first batter she faced, she went on to strike out seven batters en route to retiring 17 in a row before a two-out error by Gianelloni in the sixth. Gianelloni’s mishap came right after she saved a potential hit as Sidney Salmans smacked a sharp grounder to Haley Stevenson at third and the ball deflected off her glove, was scooped up by Gianelloni who then fired it to first to beat the runner.
Haydel’s no-hitter is the second one for catcher Kayla Prater this season, who caught freshman Megan Landry’s in her first career start against Mississippi Valley State. Landry’s came in five innings as Nicholls won via run-rule, 11-0.
The Colonels remain a 1.5 games back in the standings of first-place McNeese State, which defeated Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night, 3-1.
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UIW (2-5), Stephen F. Austin (3-4)
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word softball team split Friday’s doubleheader with Southland Conference opponent Stephen F. Austin winning the series opener 5-4 in extra innings, while dropping the evening matchup, 3-2 in a closely contested game at Cardinals Field.
Bridget Stein (Brenham/Brenham HS) got the ball for the first game and she was sharp early on. Neither team could get much going offensively in the early portion of the contest as it took until the fourth inning to score the first run of the ballgame. SFA (21-22, 9-10) scored the first run of the game when Ashley Holloway scored on an error giving the LadyJacks a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning when Katie Helm (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) scored on a wild pitch to even the score at 1-1.
The fireworks began in the seventh inning starting with a three run top of the inning for the Ladyjacks. With Stein still in the pitching circle, SFA was able to put together back-to-back singles to open the inning and they would later capitalize with an RBI single through the left side by Taylor Fraccastoro and a sacrifice bunt by Faith Talley which also drove in a run to make the score 4-1.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cardinals (15-28, 6-14) were able to rally with three runs of their own highlighted by a two-run blast from Helm and an infield groundout by Victoria Bratcher (Colleyville/Colleyville Heritage HS) that scored the game tying run and forced the game into extra innings.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cardinals were able to get the walk-off win. They loaded the bases with two outs when Natali Duron (Pasadena/Pasadena Memorial HS) singled up the middle for the walk off victory, 5-4 victory.
Stein went 7.0 innings and she gave up four runs, three earned, on nine hits and she also struck out three batters. Sarah Leal (Kyle/Hays HS) picked up the victory after coming in to start the eighth inning. She finished the final two innings only allowing two hits and she also struck out three batters. Makayla Sikes made the start for the Ladyjacks and she went 6.0 innings giving up three earned runs on five hits. Calle Guffey is charged with the loss after coming in for the final 2.2 innings.
The Cardinals put together eight hits at the plate. Brigitte Gauvin (Winnipeg, Manitoba/College Louis-Riel) and Helm each had two hits to lead the team. Helm had the big two run homer and Duron had the game winning hit. For SFA, Brittany Lewis led the team with three hits and an RBI.
After winning the first game in thrilling fashion, the Cardinals could not ride the momentum into the second game. In the top of the first, the Ladyjacks scored an early run after Lewis hit a solo homerun to center field. In the top of the fifth, SFA would add two more runs highlighted by an RBI double by Lewis for her second RBI of the game giving the Ladyjacks a 3-0 lead.
However, the Cardinals would make things interesting in the bottom of the sixth inning by scoring two runs on a double by Mikaela Flores (Lockhart/Lockhart HS), but UIW could not complete the comeback.
Darrianne Hale (Mesquite/Bishop Lynch HS) made the start for the Cardinals and she went 4.1 innings allowing three earned runs on four hits. Leal finished the final 2.2 innings giving up just one hit. Guffey started the game for the Ladyjacks and she went the full 7.0 innings giving up two earned runs on four hits. Hale was charged with the loss while Guffey picked up her eighth victory of the season.
At the plate, UIW had just four hits and Flores led the team with two RBI’s. Lewis went 3-for-3 with two RBI’s and one run scored for SFA.
The series finale will take place tomorrow at noon at Cardinals Field, as UIW will look to win their second Southland Conference series of the season.
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