BEAUMONT, Texas - Lamar University (3-1) split its two games Saturday at the LU Softball Complex winning 4-3 against St. John's while falling 13-7 to No. 1-ranked Texas. LU's three wins in its first four games is the best start to a season since the program came back in 2013.
It took Big Red eight innings to defeat SJ in game one. Trinity Brandon (RBI) and Sicily Windham each had two hits for the Cardinals while Gracee Hess had two RBIs, including the walk-off winner in the eighth.
Emma Wardlaw got the start and pitched 6.2 innings allowing three runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts. Reagan Smith (1.1 IP) earned the win in relief allowing one hit and striking out two batters.
The Cardinals dropped the second game 13-7 to the Longhorns. Veronica Harrison picked up two hits, including a two-run homer while Cimara-lei Wessling drove in two runs in her first at-bat of her Cardinal career. LU had five pitchers appear in the circle as Madison Guidry (1.0 IP, two runs, two hits) was tabbed with the loss.
Game 1: Lamar 4, SJU 3
St. John's had two runners on base in each of the first two innings, but failed to score. In the third, the Red Storm loaded the bases, but Wardlaw and the Cardinals' defense pulled off the great escape as a strikeout and two fielder's choices kept the game scoreless. The Cardinals broke through in the bottom half of the third as Wilson drove in Brandon for a 1-0 lead.
One inning later, Big Red added two runs with Hess grounding out to score Windham while Brandon singled in Aubrey Brown. The 3-0 lead stood until the top of the seventh when down to their last out, the Red Storm plated three runs across to tie the game.
Extra innings would be required as Smith pitched a scoreless eighth in relief. Once the bottom of the eighth started, Windham collected a one-out single while pinch hitter Rose Gonzales followed with a walk. That brought up Hess and she would come through with a single to center scoring Windham to give LU the 4-3 win.
Game 2: Texas 13, Lamar 7
After starter Sabrina Jolin held the Longhorns scoreless for two innings, Harrison led off the bottom of the second with a single and reached second on an error. Makayla Valle pinch ran for her and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring from Raigan Brannon's sacrifice fly to hand LU a 1-0 lead over the top team in the nation. Despite giving up two singles to start the third inning, Jolin kept Texas off the scoreboard.
The Longhorn bats woke up as they would tie the game in the fourth on a solo home run. Over the next three innings, Texas drove in 12 runs to grab a 13-1 lead going into the last of the seventh. LU showed fight in the last inning scratching across six runs with Harrison launching a two-run blast while Wessling, Hess, and Brandon each delivered RBI singles.
The Cardinals will be back Thursday at the LU Softball Complex as they will get set to host another tournament. LU will start off with a non-conference showdown against Nicholls. First pitch is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m.
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