BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University softball will finish up the 2022 regular season when Sam Houston comes to the Golden Triangle for a three-game series at the LU Softball Complex.
Friday will feature a doubleheader with game one set to start at 4 p.m. while the series finale is set for a noon start time Saturday.
Senior pitcher Aaliyah Ruiz is chasing history. The Beeville, Texas native enters the series against Sam Houston with 251 career strikeouts. She currently sits in third place on the LU all-time list. Ruiz is 24 strikeouts behind LU softball strikeout queen Laura Napoli, who finished her career with 275 career strikeouts. Ruiz is also 18 strikeouts from matching Ciara Luna for second place.
Freshman pitcher Haila Linton also has an interesting statistic to watch. Linton tossed the first complete game shutout of her career Tuesday during a 1-0 victory over Texas Southern. She enters the weekend having tossed 11 consecutive shutout innings. Linton started off her career without surrendering a walk in her first 19 innings pitched.
Offensively, Sam Bean will look to extend her 19-game on-base streak in WAC play. The only WAC opponent who managed to keep her off the base paths in 2022 is Sam Houston, which was the first series of conference play. Since starting conference play 0-for-6, Bean is hitting .375 with 24 hits. One-third of her hits in WAC play have produced extra bases. Bean has also reached base via six walks and three plunkings. When batting in the leadoff spot, Bean is hitting .474 against WAC opponents. The Rockwall, Texas native has hit at the top of the order every game starting with the series finale at Abilene Christian.
There is plenty to play for in the series. Sam Houston (12-38, 5-16 in WAC play) and LU (11-34, 5-16 in WAC play) are currently in a three-way tie for the sixth seed in the WAC Tournament. The other school, New Mexico State, is in the WAC's West Division. The winner of the LU-Sam Houston series will avoid the No.1 seed until the championship game plus avoids a 10 a.m. first pitch in each of the first two days.
LU will be honoring the 2022 senior class Saturday. First pitch of game one Friday is set for 4 p.m. at the LU Softball Complex.
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