LAKE CHARLES, La. – The middle stretch of the Cowgirl Challenge saw the Lamar University softball team split their two games on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals picked up an emphatic 11-2 run-rule win over Central Arkansas, last season's Atlantic Sun champions, before falling to top-ranked Oklahoma in their second matchup of the day.
The Cardinals scored in each inning of Game 1 and racked up 14 hits with eight of the nine starters tallying a hit.
Shenita Tucker (4 RBI) and
Brooke Davis (RBI) led the team each recording a season-high three hits while
Jayne Sepulveda (3 RBI) and
Kalyn Xayaseng had two hits apiece.
Veronica Harrison (2 RBI),
Trinity Brandon,
Raigan Brannon and
Aubrey Brown also each added singles.
Sabrina Jolin picked up her first win of the season with five innings of work allowing just two runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Brandon would
Madison Guidry started Game 2 for the Cardinals and was tagged with the loss after an inning and two thirds allowing three runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Jolin would enter the game in the second but walked two batters without recording an out.
Makayla Valle would then pitch two and a third innings in relief allowing two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Karyana Mitchell would pitch the fifth inning allowing two runs on three hits with a walk.
Game 1: LU 11, Central Arkansas 2
LU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as an RBI double from Sepulveda gave the Cardinals the lead in the top of the first, but UCA would quickly respond with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. This did not seem to deter the Cardinals, however, as the bats were back in full force in the top of the second as a two-out rally featuring three hits, a walk and a hit by pitch saw RBI singles from Tucker and Sepulveda put them back in front.
Big Red would continue to do damage in the top of the third as RBI hits from Davis, Tucker and Harrison would plate five runs and extend the Cardinal lead as the team batted around the order. A sac fly from Tucker in the top of the fourth gave the Cardinals their first double-digit scoring effort of the season. Jolin would work herself out of a few jams leaving runners stranded at the corners in the bottom of the third and on first and second in the bottom of the fourth.
Game 2: Oklahoma 8, LU 0
OU got off to a good start with solo home runs in the first two innings to build a quick lead. The Sooners would load the bases in the bottom of the second, but Valle was able to force a groundout to leave the runners on. LU would manage baserunners in the second, fourth and fifth innings but could not make anything of them. A two-run RBI single extended the Sooner lead in the bottom of the fourth while another would win the game in the fifth.
LU will finish out the Cowgirl Challenge with a rivalry matchup against McNeese tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Despite being an SLC opponent, this game will not count toward the conference standings and serve solely as a nonconference affair.
