BEAUMONT, Texas -
Jayne Sepulveda recorded eight hits and four RBIs for Lamar University (27-21, 14-9 SLC) in Thursday's Southland Conference doubleheader against Houston Christian (14-29, 7-16 SLC) at the LU Softball Complex. While the Cardinals took care of business in game one, 7-1, they fell in an 11-10 offensive slugfest in the second game to come away with a split.
Sepulveda set a new career-high with four hits and drove in three runs in game one.
Veronica Harrison added two hits and two RBIs. In the circle,
Reagan Smith allowed three hits and struck out three batters for her sixth complete game victory.
In game two, Sepulveda posted her second straight four-hit contest with an RBI.
Ava Blakely (RBI) and
Cala Wilson both had three hits with the latter hitting a grand slam. Reliever
Kaylee Cuevas was tagged with the loss in an inning and a third with three runs on three hits allowed.
Game 1: Lamar 7, HCU 1
LU loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, but
Sicily Windham grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning. The Cardinals tallied a run in the second inning as Sepulveda singled to second base while
Makenzie Wright scored on an error from the same play. The Huskies threatened with runners at the corners with two outs in the third before Smith got HCU's Maddy Bailey to ground out to short.
Big Red broke the game open in the fifth and sixth innings as Sepulveda and Harrison drove in five of the Cardinals' next six runs while
Trinity Brandon added an RBI groundout. HCU broke the shutout in the top of the seventh with a solo homer to right field and loaded the bases before a pop-out to Windham sealed the game one victory for the Cardinals.
Game 2: HCU 11, Lamar 10
Through the first two innings, the Huskies plated four runs while holding the Cardinals to one Sepulveda hit in that same stretch. With one out in the third, Sepulveda's sixth hit of the day started a rally as LU loaded the bases for Wilson. The Ruston, La., native drilled one to deep center field for a grand slam and tied the game at four.
The Huskies recaptured the lead with one run in the top of the fourth, only to have LU respond with three in their half. Hess and Sepulveda singled in the tying and go-ahead runs while Brandon doubled in the seventh run for the Cardinals. One inning later, Blakely singled in Wilson to put them up 8-5.
Five runs came in to score for the Huskies in the top of the sixth inning, but the Cardinals responded with a bases loaded walk to Windham plus a sacrifice fly by Brannon to even the game at 10 going into the seventh. A two-out HCU double brought the Huskies the one-run lead, which would hold as Sepulveda was unable to get her ninth hit when she grounded out to the pitcher.
The series finale will commence Saturday at 3 p.m. It will also be senior day as four members of LU will be honored for their time in Boomtown.
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