BEAUMONT, Texas – Shelby Hughston hit her second home run in as many days and the Lamar University Cardinals clinched a berth in the Southland Conference Softball Tournament with an 8-7 win over the Incarnate Word Cardinals on Saturday to complete a three-game series sweep.
 
LU (26-24 overall, 16-8 Southland) is a game behind Nicholls for the No. 2 seed in next month's conference tourney. LU would clinch the No. 2 seed, and the accompanying first-round bye, by winning the series next weekend when Nicholls comes to the LU Softball Complex for three games.
 
"This was a tough battle with two great hitting performances," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "Our hitters were solid all weekend."
 
LU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Brittany Rodriguez walked and stole second before scoring on Brynn Baca's RBI single.
 
Incarnate Word (9-39, 4-20) responded with four runs in the bottom of the second, only one of them earned, to take a 4-1 lead.
 
It didn't take long for LU to respond as the visiting Cardinals erupted for seven runs in the top of the third. Shelby Henderson had a two-run single in the inning before Hughston capped the outburst with a two-run homer to left field.
 
Incarnate Word chipped away with single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings, while LU stranded three runners in the fifth.
 
LU starter Ciara Luna, who worked the first two innings before being lifted, came back to pitch a scoreless seventh inning to earn her third save of the year.
 
Laura Napoli (11-9), the third LU pitcher used, got her second win of the weekend. Napoli allowed three hits and one run, none earned, in 2 1/3 innings. Luna worked a total of three innings, allowing six hits and four runs, just one earned. Luna recorded one strikeout to give her 216 for her career, tying the LU record set by Shannon Millman.
 
UIW starter Kristin Hebert (2-4) took the loss, allowing five hits and seven runs, all earned, in four innings. Christy Trevino had three hits for Incarnate Word.
 
"This was a big win for a number of reasons," Bruder said. "Clinching a tournament berth is always special. Now we have the opportunity to earn a first-round bye. We've put ourselves in a position where we wanted to be."
 
The series with Nicholls opens with a doubleheader on Friday before wrapping up with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday on Senior Day, as the Cardinals will honor McDowell, Luna and Baca.
 
Central Arkansas will serve as the host for the conference tournament, set for May 10-13 in Conway, Ark.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to 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.