HOUSTON, Texas – It was a Saturday sweep for Lamar University softball in their conference openers on the road Saturday at Houston Christian. A low-scoring affair saw a complete game from Emma Wardlaw seal a 2-1 Game 1 victory before the bats woke up for Game 2 and propelled the Cardinals to a 9-3 win. LU (14-7, 2-0 SLC) has now won 11 of its last 12 games and is off to a solid start in conference play.
 
Three Cardinals had multi-hit games in Game 1 with Cameron Niedenthal (RBI), Brooke Davis and Kalyn Xayaseng all recording two. Jayne Sepulveda (RBI), Trinity Brandon and Veronica Harrison each tallied a hit as well. Wardlaw threw her fifth complete game as a Cardinal and racked up a career-high 134 pitches in the win as she allowed just one run on ten hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
 
LU reeled off 14 hits in Game 2 as six Cardinals recorded multi-hit games. Shenita Tucker racked up three hits to lead the team while Harrison knocked in a team-high four RBI. Brandon (RBI), Davis (RBI), Xayeseng and Kalie Amos all had two hits while Niedenthal had an RBI single as well. Karyana Mitchell also pitched a complete game on the mound allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while tying a career-high with eight strikeouts.
 
Game 1: LU 2, Houston Christian 1
 
Game 1 got off to a strange start as both teams had dropped third strikes result in baserunners in the first inning with no runs coming home. LU had runners on second and third in the top of the second but could not capitalize on the opportunity. HCU would score the first run of the game in the bottom of the third with a solo shot and threatened to do more damage as they got runners on second and third with one out, but Wardlaw forced two groundouts to get out of the jam.
 
More stranded runners haunted the Cardinals in the top of the fourth as they failed to drive in runners on second and third with no outs. Wardlaw kept LU in the game, however, by leaving the bases loaded for the Huskies in the bottom of the frame. The runs finally came around for Big Red in the top of the fifth as Sepulveda mashed an RBI double to left center to tie things up. Niedenthal would then drive in Sepulveda on an RBI double to push the Cardinals into the lead.
 
Wardlaw would strand five more HCU runners over the next two innings to keep Big Red in front. Two singles with two outs looked threatening for the Huskies in the bottom of the seventh, but Wardlaw's 134^th pitch would result in a groundout to finish things off as HCU ended Game 1 with 13 stranded baserunners.
 
Game 2: LU 9, Houston Christian 3
 
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in Game 2 as four hits resulted in four runs in the top of the first including RBI singles from Davis and Harrison. Tucker would score on a throwing error in the top of the second after stealing her 16^th base of the season earlier in the inning.
 
The Huskies would get two back in the bottom of the third, but LU continue the barrage of hits which led to two more runs in the top of the fourth including RBI doubles from Brandon and Niedenthal. HCU was able to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Mitchell managed to limit the damage to just one run. The Cardinals would pile on some more runs in the top of the sixth as Harrison recorded her career-best fourth RBI on a two-run double to seal the victory.
 
LU finishes off their series with the Huskies on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Houston.