NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Lamar University (15-12, 3-3 SLC) was one out away from taking the series with Stephen F. Austin (13-14, 3-3 SLC) in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at the SFA Softball Field. The Ladyjacks rallied back to win 5-4 and then used a five-run first to take the series finale 8-4.
Five Cardinals recorded a hit in the first game, including RBI singles from
Sicily Windham and
Jayne Sepulveda while
Raigan Brannon posted LU's third RBI with a groundout.
Mallory Pitre (3.1 IP) started the game, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out two batters.
Emma Wardlaw (3.0 IP, 1 K) was tagged with the loss after allowing the winning two runs to score for SFA.
Veronica Harrison posted two RBIs in the second game while
Aubrey Brown and Sepulveda drove in the other runs.
Reagan Smith (four runs, three hits) was the starting pitcher but took the loss after lasting a third of an inning.
Madison Guidry (four runs, five hits, one K) finished the final 5.2 innings for the Cardinals in the circle.
Game 1: SFA 5, LU 4
Cala Wilson led off the top of the second by reaching on an error.
Trinity Brandon followed with double to left center, but Wilson was thrown out trying to score the first run. The Cardinals would get that run a few batters later as Windham singled through the left side to score Brandon. The lead wouldn't last as SFA tied the score in the third before adding two fourth-inning runs for a 3-1 advantage.
The Cardinals fought back and scored three runs in the fifth to go up 4-3.
Ava Blakely led off with a double and came into score on an RBI groundout by Brannon. After
Kalie Amos reached base on an error, Sepulveda singled her in as the tying run before she scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. LU kept its lead until the seventh inning when the Ladyjacks put two runners on with two outs. A pair of singles would lift SFA to the 5-4 walkoff victory.
Game 2: SFA 8, LU 4
SFA erupted for five runs in the first inning, which would be the difference of game two. The Cardinals did score twice in the next inning with an RBI single from
Aubrey Brown and a sacrifice fly from Sepulveda. Despite holding the Ladyjacks scoreless in the third, LU conceded three runs over the next two innings to trail 8-2.
The Cardinals' bats were silent from the fourth through sixth innings, but LU was able to get two runners on and one out in the seventh. That brought Harrison to the plate as she doubled in Amos and Sepulveda to close within 8-4. Unfortunately, that was all LU could manage as SFA slammed the door on the series.
LU turns its attention to a Tuesday contest in Houston as it will take on the Cougars. The first pitch will be delivered at 6 p.m.
