NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Laura Napoli struck out a career-high 10 batters and the Lamar University Cardinals swept a doubleheader from Stephen F. Austin by scores of 4-1 and 3-2 in Southland Conference softball action on Friday.
 
With the wins, the Cardinals improved to 15-14 overall and 8-0 in the Southland Conference. Stephen F. Austin fell to 9-20 overall and 1-4 in the conference.
 
"Our pitching was tremendous today," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "We got some timely hitting, but the pitching was the story."
  Ciara Luna (4-8) scattered four hits while striking out four as the Cardinals took the opener.
 
LU jumped out to the lead quickly, as Brynn Baca's one-out double in the top of the first plated Brittany Rodriguez. LU made it 2-0 in the fourth as Paige Holmes doubled home Sable Hankins. The Cards added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth. Shelby Henderson's sacrifice bunt with the bases loaded scored Rodriguez before Baca scored on a passed ball.
 
The Ladyjacks ruined Luna's shutout bid in the bottom of the sixth with an unearned run. Kiriany Hornberger's sacrifice fly brought home Tanna Huie with the lone SFA run.
 
Luna did not walk a batter as she tossed the 19^th complete game of her career. Rodriguez had two of LU's seven hits.
 
SFA starter Callee Guffee (4-6) took the loss, allowing six hits and four runs, three earned, in five innings. She walked three and struck out two. Makayla Sikes pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Ladyjacks.
  Napoli (7-6) limited SFA to four hits and worked around three errors to win her fourth straight decision.
 
Napoli, whose previous career high was eight strikeouts, closed out the game in fashion by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh as she became the first pitcher in program history to throw more than 400 career innings (404 1/3 IP).
 
LU took a 1-0 lead in the second when Holmes and Corina Thornton executed a double steal with Thornton coming home on an error.
 
The game was delayed by lightning for 45 minutes in the bottom of the third with two outs and SFA having a runner on first. The delay seemed to affect the Cardinals, who made three errors right after the delay resumed allowing the Ladyjacks to score a pair of unearned runs.
 
The Cards tied the game in the top of the fourth when Holmes drove in Hankins on a sacrifice fly. The Cardinals used another sacrifice fly to plate the winning run as Kelly Meeuwsen drove in Ashley McDowell.
 
After that, it was all Napoli, who allowed just one runner over the last four innings.
 
ACE OF ON BASE: Baca, who went 1-for-3 with a walk in the first game and drew two walks in the second game, has now reached base in 21 straight games, tied with Meeuwsen for the fifth-longest streak in program history. Rodriguez set the LU record last season by reaching base in 26 straight games.
 
STANDINGS: The Cardinals are tiedwith McNeese for first place in the conference. McNeese swept Incarnate Word in a doubleheader on Friday.
 
UP NEXT: The Cardinals wrap up their series at SFA with a single game a t 1 p.m. Saturday. LU hosts Alcorn State in a non-conference doubleheader at noon Wednesday.
 
TICKETS: For tickets for all LU home games, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. Tickets are also available at the LU ticket office, located in the Montagne Center, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets will be available at the ticket window at the LU Softball Complex starting one hour prior to first pitch.