BEAUMONT, Texas -
Sicily Windham's walk-off inside the park homer helped Lamar University (17-13, 5-3 SLC) snap a three-game skid Friday to beat East Texas A&M (7-24, 3-5 SLC) in game one, 8-7. LU then rallied from behind to take down the Lions 6-4 in game two to claim this Southland Conference series.
In the first game, Windham was one of two players with a pair of hits along with
Ava Blakely, who drove in two.
Madison Guidry started and pitched 5.1 innings allowing six runs on nine hits while getting two strikeouts.
Reagan Smith (3.2 IP) recorded the win in relief allowing one run on one hit and tied a season high seven strikeouts.
Trinity Brandon posted the game-winning RBI double in the fifth inning of game two, which was one of her two hits for the contest.
Raigan Brannon also had two hits and drove in two RBIs along with
Cala Wilson (hit).
Mallory Pitre went the distance allowing five hits and struck out six batters to earn her third win of the season.
Game 1: Lamar 8, ETAMU 7 (9 Inn.)
After the Lions scored one in the top of the first, LU loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the second and would score one off a fielder's choice from
Gracee Hess. The Cardinals then plated three runs in the third with a single from Wilson and a Blakely two-run double.
For three straight innings, the Lions scored two runs while the Cardinals plated a run, which led to a tie score. A fourth inning two-run homer by the Lions closed the deficit to 4-3 before Harrison drove in Hess on a sac fly to center in the bottom half. ETAMU tied the game with a double in the top of the fifth while
Kalie Amos drove in Blakely to grab a 6-5 lead. The Lions retook the lead at 7-6 with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the sixth, but allowed Harrison to reach on an error to score
Jayne Sepulveda.
As the game proceeded into extra innings, Smith had retired eight straight batters to keep ETAMU scoreless going into the bottom of the ninth. With two outs in the ninth, Windham delivered a fly ball to right center and circled the bases while avoiding the catcher's tag to score the winning run on an inside-the-park homer. The Lions challenged the call at the plate, but to no avail and LU took game one.
Game 2: Lamar 6, ETAMU 4
ETAMU took the early 1-0 after the first, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom of the second by loading the bases and having Brannon drive in two runs on a double. Following a scoreless third, the Lions posted a two-out double to retake the lead at 3-2 in the fourth.
After Hess led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk, Sepulveda tripled her in to tie the game at three. Three batters later, Brandon placed LU ahead 4-3 with a double to left center. Then, Wilson singled in two more runs in the bottom of the sixth stretching the Cardinals' lead to three. Although the Lions plated a run in the top of the seventh, Pitre secured the final two outs to finish the doubleheader sweep.
The Cardinals will look to complete the series sweep Saturday at the LU Softball Complex. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at noon.
Â
