HAMMOND, La. – Down to its final four outs, Lamar University junior Roxy Thompson and senior Gracee Hess turned a two-run deficit into the start of a come-from-behind 7-5 victory over fourth-seeded UIW to open the Southland Conference Tournament Thursday.
 
Hess (2B) and Cala Wilson each finished with a game-high two hits. Thompson drove in a pair of runs on a triple while Riley Whitley added an RBI. Reagan Smith went the distance, allowing seven hits and striking out one.
 
UIW took the early lead in the second with a two-out RBI single, but LU responded in the third as Hess led off with a double and scored on an error. After a pair of 1-2-3 innings from Smith, the other Cardinals delivered a two-run homer to grab the lead.
 
With two outs in the sixth, LU put two runners on, which set the stage for Thompson's game-tying triple to right-center. Hess followed up with a single to right that gave Big Red the lead for good. Lamar added three insurance runs in the seventh to increase its lead to four, but UIW trimmed the deficit in half and had the tying run at the plate. In the end, Smith got the last hitter to pop up to short.

Big Red will take on the winner of No. 1 Southeastern Louisiana and No. 8 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday in the second round. The first pitch will take place at 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 

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