BEAUMONT, Texas -
Cala Wilson's third-inning three-run blast ignited Lamar University to its school-record 10th-consecutive victory as the Cardinals finished off the sweep of Nicholls, 7-2, Saturday at the LU Softball Complex. This breaks the previous mark of nine straight wins held by the 2016 team.
Big Red (21-15, 8-4 SLC) was led by Wilson (two hits, three RBI) and
Isabella Flores (three hits, RBI) and Wilson (two hits, three RBI), who had multi-hit games and combined to drive in four runs.
Kaylee Cuevas was the starter, while she and relief pitcher
Ava Prejean each lasted two innings allowing one run on three hits with the latter getting her first victory of the season.
Reagan Smith earned her first save of the season by pitching three scoreless relief innings of one-hit ball and two strikeouts.
The Colonels grabbed their first lead of the series in the opening frame on an RBI double. LU had an early scoring chance in the second as it loaded the bases with one out, but was unable to break through. It wouldn't be long before the Cardinals seized the lead with four runs in the third as Flores doubled in
Gracee Hess while Wilson sent a three-run homer to left center.
A two-out, fourth-inning double brought the Colonels within two before Prejean recorded her only strikeout of the game to end the frame. After Nicholls led off the fifth with a triple, Smith was called into relieve Prejean. The Cardinals' defense caught the lead runner in a trap on a failed suicide squeeze play while Smith retired two of the next three hitters. LU broke the game open with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth as two came in to score on a pair of Colonel errors.
The Cardinals will hit the road Tuesday for a non-conference meeting with Texas Southern at Memorial Park. The first pitch will be delivered at 3 p.m.
