GULF SHORES, Ala. – For the second day in a row, the Lamar University softball team split a pair of games at the Sand Dollar Classic.

Lamar (2-2) opened the day with a 10-6 win over Liberty before dropping a 5-2 decision to Southern Miss.

In the opener against Liberty, Lamar raced out to a 10-0 lead before Liberty made things interesting with six runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Laura Napoli picked up the win for Lamar, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out three over seven innings. Napoli worked the first five innings before giving way to Annika Seedborg to start the sixth inning. Napoli came back in after Seedborg faced five batters in the sixth inning without recording an out.

Shannon Sain led the Lamar offense against Liberty with two hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Casey Cromwell had two hits and two RBIs, while Sable Hankins and Stephanie Meeuwsen each had two hits and an RBI. As a team, Lamar finished with 12 hits.

“Any time you have double digits in hits, it's a good game,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. “Laura pitched a great game as well.”

Against Southern Miss, Brynn Baca had two of Lamar's seven hits, but the Lady Cardinals had trouble stringing hits together. Lamar pitcher Lauren Dannelley (1-1) took the loss, allowing seven hits and five runs, two earned. Four of the seven hits by Southern Miss were of the infield variety.

“It's a game we should have won,” Bruder said. “It was a game that got away from us.

Lamar closes out play at the Sand Dollar Classic when it takes on Eastern Kentucky at 10 a.m. Sunday.

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