ALEXANDRIA, LA – The No. 20 Louisiana State University of Alexandria softball dropped their series opener to No. 21 Texas A&M-Texarkana, 9-7.
 

 
Both the Generals (19-6, 9-1 RRAC) and the Eagles (21-5, 10-0 RRAC) came into the series tied for first in the conference standings with Our Lady of the Lake – all three having a 9-0 record.
 
Lainee Bailey (8-3) left eight Eagles' runners stranded through the first four innings to keep Texarkana off the board. She recorded a strike out to end the first, leaving two runners on base. The Eagles loaded the bases in the second with pair of one-out hits and a walk. Bailey then struck out Kamryn Walker and forced Mackenzie Williams to fly out to left field to keep the game 0-0.  After leaving one runner on in the third, the Eagles left a pair more on the base path in the fourth.
 
Rylee Glenn held the Generals scoreless through the first three innings. She recorded eight strikeouts over 4.1 innings and allowed three earned runs. Sophia Romero opened the bottom of the first with a single before Glenn struck out the next three hitters.
 
The next LSUA hit came in the bottom of the fourth. Kilee Moody took an 0-1 offering over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. Jillian Howell followed with a two-strike double off the center field wall but was left stranded as Glenn struck out two of the next four hitters and forced a fly out to end the inning.
 
TAMUT responded immediately with a solo shot of their own. Grace Cantu launched a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right, tying the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, Brenna Turbeville – who ran for Skyler Martin – scored on an RBI single from Madison Ruiz for a 2-1 TAMUT lead.
 
A one-out walk from Haley Fontenot led to an RBI double by Kaetlyn Dunbar, chasing Glenn from the game. Moody welcomed Charli Miller (2-1) with a single to center, driving around Dunbar from second. After a ground out, Bailey roped a double down the left field line to plate Moody for a 4-2 lead.
 
Brooke Usrey led off the top of the sixth with a double before advancing to third two batters later on Mackenzie Williams' single. After a walk to Cantu, Martin drove a bases-clearing double to right center to take a 5-4 lead. Rylee Guillot came on in relief and put the first two hitters she faced aboard via a walk and hit by pitch. Hitting with the bases loaded, Madison Ruiz sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a 9-4 lead.
 
The Generals' offense came alive again the game's final frame. Moody led off with a double and Howell worked a walk to chase Miller from the circle. Alexis Snyder retired the first hitter she faced on a fly out to right, which allowed Moody to advance to third. Alyssa Soileau then laced a pinch-hit single to right center to drive in Moody and Livie Thibodeaux, who ran for Howell. After a ground out advanced Soileau to second, Kamille Lightfoot drove a double into the left center gap, driving in Soileau, and making it an 8-7 game. Snyder managed to quell the rally to seal the victory for the Eagles.
 
LSUA closes their series with TAMUT tomorrow, March 21, with a doubleheader starting at noon.