HOUSTON – Kelly Meeuwsen homered twice and Kimberly Mattox made of the most of her first career hit as the Lamar University Cardinals finished off a three-game Southland Conference softball series sweep of Houston Baptist with an 8-2 win on Saturday.
 
The win was the fourth straight for the Cardinals (15-12 overall, 3-3 Southland), equaling a season high.
 
Meeuwsen's two home runs marked the ninth time in LU's modern era of softball that a player hit two home runs in a game. The junior second baseman also had a double to give her 10 total bases in the game, the second-highest single-game total in program history.
 
"Kelly was a catalyst for our hitters today," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "That was a great performance by her today."
 
Meanwhile, Mattox, broke the game open with a bases-loaded pinch-hit triple in the sixth inning to give the Cardinals a 6-2 lead.
 
"Kim had a clutch hit for us," Bruder said. "For a freshman to come through like that on a conference game is a tremendous boost for her confidence."
 
Mattox's hit came right after the Cardinals escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. The Huskies (3-13, 0-6) loaded the bases with nobody out, and seemed poised to take the lead. Reliever Laura Napoli came in and got out of the jam without allowing a run, thanks in part to right fielder Maddy Myers who threw out a runner at home to complete a double play.
 
"Laura was put in a tough spot with bases loaded and no outs and did a great job of preventing damage," Bruder said. "Maddy made a great throw. We had tremendous defense all day."
 
Meeuwsen, who hit a two-run home run in the third inning, closed out the scoring with a two-run blast off the scoreboard in right field in the seventh inning as the Cardinals improved to 17-1 all-time vs. the Huskies.
 
LU freshman right-hander Taylor Gruell (5-2) started and got the win, allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, in four-plus innings. She walked one and struck out one. Napoli picked up her third save of the season and 10^th of her career with three innings of hitless relief. Taylor Davis and Kendall Talley had two hits apiece for LU. Davis extended her streak of reaching base safely to 16 games, the longest on the team this season.
 
HBU starter Jessica Patak (1-10) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and eight runs over 6 1/3 innings. Kassie James had two hits for the Huskies.
 
ON DECK: The Cardinals host Dartmouth in a non-conference doubleheader at 4 p.m. Tuesday. After that, Stephen F. Austin comes to the LU Softball Complex for a three-game Southland Conference series with the Cardinals. The Ladyjacks and Cardinals play a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday and a single game at 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
TICKETS: For individual-game and season tickets, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The ticket window at the LU Softball Complex will open one hour prior to first pitch on game days. LU students receive free admission to home games with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they present their membership badge.