CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Lamar University (7-6) concluded its time at the Chattanooga Frost Classic by splitting the final two games Sunday. The Cardinals overcame a 5-4 deficit to win 7-5 against Indiana State while their bats couldn't get going against Illinois State, which handed LU a 6-1 loss.
Veronica Harrison (one hit) drove in four of LU's seven runs in the victory over the Sycamores.
Jayne Sepulveda,
Trinity Brandon (two RBIs), and
Cala Wilson (RBI) each tallied two hits.
Sabrina Jolin (2.1 IP, two hits, four runs, 2 Ks) got the start in the circle.
Madison Guidry (1.2 IP) earned the win by allowing one run on three hits.
Mallory Pitre struck out seven batters as she earned the three-inning save while conceding one hit.
LU would be held to two hits with one of those being a home run from
Makenzie Wright in the 6-1 loss to the Redbirds.
Reagan Smith was tagged with the loss after going 6.1 innings allowing five runs on seven hits.
Game 1: Lamar 7, Indiana State 5
The Cardinals took the early 2-0 lead in the first inning as Brandon reached on an error to score
Gracee Hess while Wilson singled her in. Two innings later, Hess and Sepulveda singled and advanced to scoring position, which allowed Harrison to drive both in. The Sycamores would rally by scoring four runs in the bottom of the third and then take the 5-4 lead with one run in the fourth.
Undeterred, LU picked up two fifth inning runs to go ahead 6-5 after Brandon doubled in Sepulveda before scoring on a Harrison sacrifice fly. An inning later, Harrison's second RBI sac fly allowed Sepulveda to score and increase LU's lead to 7-5. Pitre, who came in to start the fifth, would shut the door on the Sycamores to preserve the win.
Game 2: Illinois State 6, Lamar 1
After two scoreless frames, the Redbirds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals were held without a hit until the bottom of the fourth when Hess led off with a single. She then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout but remained stranded after a fly out to right ended the Cardinal threat.
In the sixth inning, Wright put LU on the board with her first homer of the season. After LU recorded the first out in the top of the seventh inning, the Redbirds loaded the bases before getting four runs across to break the game open, 6-1.
LU will have a Tuesday contest in Huntsville against Sam Houston at the Bearkat Softball Complex. The first pitch will be delivered at 6:30 p.m.
