FAYETTE, MO – The Louisiana State University of Alexandria softball team's season came to a close with an extra innings loss to Tennessee Southern, 7-3, in the NAIA Opening Round.
"Tough way to lose," said LSUA Head Coach Trent Partridge. "When you go into extra innings there and had opportunities to win it at different points during the game. We just weren't able to get that timely hitting. That's kind of been haunting us down the stretch here. We knew coming into this you had some good draws. We had to go out and play our game and today our game wasn't good enough.
Haley Primrose (25-7) held the Firehawks (33-20) to one run through seven innings. She struck out three and allowed 12 hits and five walks.
Primrose pitched her way out of a bases loaded jam in the first, escaping without allowing a run. The Firehawks worked the bases loaded in the second as well and Primrose allowed just one unearned run before forcing a fly out to
Kilee Moody in left to close the inning.
"I've asked Prim to do a lot this season," Partridge added. "There was nobody that I wanted the ball in their hands in an elimination game more. We were playing for one game today and if we got to that second game we'd figure it oud. She's been everything I want LSUA to be known for in the years moving forward. She's a hard worker and she's got grit. I've asked Prim to pitch a lot in the last two weeks and it's put a lot on her. Today, she went out and shoved for seven innings and gave us a chance to win."
In the fourth, Primrose doubled home Moody for the Generals' (47-9) first run and a 1-1 score line.
The Firehawks scored six runs in the eighth with two run scoring hits, a sacrifice fly, and an error.
Moody drove in
Alyssa Soileau with an infield single in the bottom of the eighth.
Madi Baker then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring
Haley Fontenot, for a 7-3 game. After a walk to
Julia Kwakernaak, a fly out to center ended the Generals' comeback bid.
The Generals end the season with 47 wins, the highest season win total since 2017 (52).
