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.
 
"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."