WACO, Texas –
Roxy Thompson tied Monday's non-conference game with Baylor on a two-out homer in the seventh while
Gracee Hess delivered the game-winning two-run double as Lamar University stunned the Bears in Waco, 10-8, in a nine-inning thriller to extend its win streak to 14.
Hess had a game-high four hits (two doubles, one triple) with three RBIs and was a home run shy of a cycle. Thompson recorded two solo homers while
Ariel Flores (two RBI) and
Kamaryn Radford also finished with two hits.
Kaylee Cuevas started for the Cardinals, allowing one run on two hits in 2.0 IP.
Reagan Smith (six runs, seven hits) pitched three innings, but it was
Ava Prejean who earned the win with four relief innings of one-run ball on two hits.
The Cardinals (25-15) took advantage of their first at-bat when
Ariel Flores tripled in
Isabella Flores for the game's opening run. The Bears answered with a run in their first inning and threatened with runners at the corners before Cuevas got out of trouble. Big Red plated three runs in the third, which included RBI doubles from Hess and Wright.
Both teams scored two runs in the fifth as Ariel singled in Hess before
Riley Whitley hit a bases-loaded sac fly to score pinch runner
Kinlee McGuire. In the top of the sixth, Thompson homered off the foul pole to give LU a four-run lead. The Bears refused to go down in their half of the sixth as they scored five runs on four hits to grab the lead.
Down to their final out, the Cardinals' last hope was Thompson and she sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at eight. As the game proceeded to extras, Prejean kept the Bears at bay, conceding one hit over the course of the next two innings.
In the ninth, Thompson drew a two-out walk and reached second on a Radford single. That would allow Hess to come up and double both runners in, which was enough for Prejean to slam the door on another Baylor comeback.
LU returns to Southland Conference play this weekend as it travels to Hammond for a three-game series against undefeated Southeastern Louisiana. Friday's doubleheader starts at 4 p.m and will be streamed on ESPN+, while Saturday's finale begins at noon.
