Feb. 28, 2014
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Lamar softball team received two strong pitching performances as it split a pair of games at the Purple & Gold Challenge hosted by LSU.
Tina Schulz picked up a complete-game victory in a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Iowa State in the first game of the day. Shannon Millman suffered the hard-luck loss as Harvard claimed a 3-1 win in 10 innings.
In the win over Iowa State (12-3), Lamar (2-7) rallied for two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh. Casey Cromwell doubled home Jenna Holland with the tying run before Julianne Viator's single chased Cromwell home with the winning run.
Schulz (2-2) scattered six hits, allowing two runs, both earned. She did not issue a walk and struck out one
In the loss to Harvard, Millman allowed five hits and three runs, two earned. She struck out seven and did not walk anybody.
"Tina and Shannon were terrific," Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. "This is the best they've pitched all season."
Lindsey Hagberg's two-run home run propelled Harvard (3-3) to the win. Lamar scored its only run in the bottom of the fifth when Cromwell scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Brynn Baca. The Crimson tied it in the seventh on an unearned run when Catherine Callaway's single plated Katherine Lantz.
Lamar certainly had its chances against Harvard, as the Lady Cardinals stranded 14 runners in the game.
"We need our big hitters to come through for us," Bruder said. "Some who were big hitters last year haven't been big hitters this year."
Lamar returns to action with two games on Saturday. The Lady Cardinals take on Jackson State at 2 p.m. before meeting 23rd-ranked LSU at 7 p.m. Lamar wraps up play at the tourney with a rematch against Iowa State at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
"We split with Jackson State last season," Bruder said. "They're a quick team that is very scrappy. That's a game we need. We know we are going to have our hands full with LSU."
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