NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Lamar University's softball team ran into an old friend in former conference rival Stephen F. Austin for a two-game doubleheader. Both games would be close and hard-fought, but the Cardinals would manage to get a split against the Lumberjacks.
Game one proved to be a tight contest as LU managed to scratch across a 3-2 victory.
Audry Fleming drove in all three Cardinal runs on three hits while
Kalyn Xayaseng,
Hayley Freudenberg, and
Kaylee Ancelot each had two hits.
Karyana Mitchell went the distance for 105 pitches giving up two runs on six hits while striking out two batters.
Game two saw LU go up 3-0 only to let SFA rally back and hand the Cards a 6-4 loss. Ancelot led with three hits and an RBI while Nicki Ramirez collected two hits.
Cameron Niedenthal started the game and would give up four runs on four hits with one strikeout.
Fadwa Ben Karim would be the losing pitcher giving up two runs on three hits while birthday girl
Aaliyah Ruiz pitched 1.2 scoreless frames and would earn a present of career strikeout #270, which passes Ciara Luna for second all-time in career strikeouts.
Game 1: LU 3, SFA 2
Although the Cardinals would put two runners on base in the top of the first inning and leave them stranded, when they got another opportunity in the third inning, they capitalized on their chance. One out single by
Aleka Xayaseng and double by Freudenberg put them in scoring position. One out later, Fleming drove in both runs for an early 2-0 lead. Mitchell held down the Lumberjacks through three shutout innings.
But in the fourth, the Lumberjacks loaded the bases and would tie the game up. It stayed tied until the top of the seventh when the Cardinals had two on for Fleming. Fleming drove the ball up the middle and gave Big Red the lead. Mitchell retired the SFA side in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure victory.
Game 2: SFA 6, LU 4
While LU started game two off like the last time in getting runners on base in the first inning, they were able to capitalize this time as Ancelot doubled to left to bring home Kayln Xayaseng for a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, after
Sam Bean led off with a walk,
Kalyn Xayaseng reach on an error and advanced to third while Bean scored Freudenberg then drove in LU's third run with a sac fly.
But SFA turned the game upside down in the bottom of the third when they struck for four runs to grab the lead. While LU knotted the score in the top of the fourth, they allowed two runs in the bottom of the frame. Ruiz would make her appearance in the bottom of the fifth inning and struck out her first batter to make it 270 career strikeouts.
In the sixth inning, LU put two runners in scoring position with one out. Then, after the bases were loaded, the Cardinals couldn't bring any of the runners. The seventh inning did see LU bring up the tying run, but was all for naught as the Lumberjacks evened the doubleheader.
Big Red now gets set to travel to the Sunshine State and to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Unconquered Invitational hosted by Florida State University. They will have two games to open things on Friday against Troy University at 12:15 p.m., and then Florida State afterwards.
