LAKE CHARLES, La. – Lamar University softball came home empty in the Battle of the Border against McNeese as they fell twice in Saturday's doubleheader.
Trinity Brandon's solo shot was one of six hits for the Cardinals (23-16, 9-6 SLC) in Game 1.
Karyana Mitchell was tagged with the loss on the mound after four innings of work allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks.
Madison Guidry chipped in two innings of hitless relief allowing three walks and a hit by pitch.
Brandon (3 RBI) launched a three-run home run in Game 2 for her fourth home run of the year, all of which have come in Lake Charles.
Emma Wardlaw got the start and pitched 3.2 innings allowing three runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batter. Mitchell then entered and pitched 2.1 innings of relief picking up the loss allowing three runs on five hits and a walk.
Game 1: McNeese 6, LU 2
The Cowgirls started fast as they loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first and managed to bring two of them around on an RBI single. Mitchell would respond though by retiring the next eight batters she faced through the bottom of the third which was capped by a spectacular catch at the wall by
Kalyn Xayaseng.
LU would respond in the top of the third with
Kalie Amos stealing home to cut the deficit in half. Brandon then launched an opposite field home run in the top of the fourth to tie things up at two runs apiece. The tied game would be short-lived, however, as McNeese piled on four runs in the bottom of the fourth including two from two Cardinal fielding errors to take a 6-2 lead.
McNeese appeared poised to extend their lead with the bases loaded in bottom of the fifth, but Guidry was able to record the final out of the inning to get out of the jam. Big Red then attempted a rally by loading the bases themselves with one out in the top of the sixth, but the Cardinals also could not bring anyone in.
Game 2: McNeese 6, LU 3
McNeese took an early lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI double before both teams settled into a pitcher's duel. The Cardinals would take the lead in the top of the fourth, however, as singles from
Shenita Tucker and
Jayne Sepulveda were rewarded by another home run from Brandon, this one a three-run go-ahead blast to the same part of the ballpark in the same inning as Game 1.
The Cowgirls responded in the bottom half of the frame by tying things up on a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch. Mitchell would enter the game and record the final out of the inning to leave the runners stranded. McNeese would then score three runs to win the game in the bottom of the sixth including a run from a field error, a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
LU returns home next weekend for a three-game conference series with the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The series starts with a Friday doubleheader featuring games at 3 and 5 p.m. with the finale on Saturday at 12 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.
