ALEXANDRIA, LA – The No. 20 Louisiana State University of Alexandria softball team bounced back with a pair of wins to take the series over No. 21 Texas A&M-Texarkana, 9-4 and 8-3.
GAME ONE | LSUA 9, TAMUT 4
The Generals (19-9, 11-1 RRAC) put up crooked numbers in three separate innings, including a five-run fifth to even the series at 1-1.
Jaquelyn Schmidt gave the Eagles (21-7, 10-2 RRAC) an early 1-0 lead with an opposite field solo shot in the second. LSUA got the run back in the bottom of the inning, however.
Raeley Duplechin reached on a throwing error which allowed
Livie Thibodeaux to score from second. Later in the inning,
Alyssa Soileau laced a single up the middle to plate
Jillian Howell.
A&M-Texarkana scored a run in both the fourth and fifth inning, taking a 4-2 lead.
The Generals' five-run fifth opened with a Soileau's third hit of the game.
Kilee Moody followed with a double to right center to chase TAMUT starter Alex Snyder from the game. On in relief, Morgan Benge struck out the first hitter she faced before
Lainee Bailey reached on a throwing error. Soileau and Moody scored on the play, tying the game at 4-4.
Kaetlyn Dunbar then worked a walk before Thibodeaux hit a backside RBI single. After chasing Benge from the game, Duplechin dorve in a pair with a two-run single off Charli Miller for a 7-4 lead.
LSUA plated two more in the sixth on a two-run home run from Dunbar for a 9-4 advantage.
Rylee Guillot (6-0) earned the win in relief. She went 2.2 innings of shutout relief and allowed just one walk and two hits.
Kirsten Martinez got the start and allowed just one earned run over three innings.
Soileau and Moody both finished with three hits, while Thibodeaux notched a pair.
GAME TWO | LSUA 8, TAMUT 3
The Generals' offense went back to work in the series finale, scoring in the second, third, and fourth innings.
Lainee Bailey (9-3) held the Eagles hitless for 3.1 innings. She went six innings and allowed just two runs on two hits, four walks, and struck out two.
LSUA opened the scoring in the second. Howell scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Thibodeaux laced a triple off an 0-2 pitch to center, driving in
Sophia Romero. Dunbar followed with an RBI single to left before Howell launched a two-run blast over the left field wall for a 5-0 lead.
The Eagles found the scoreboard in the fourth. Grace Cantu sent a 3-2 offering back up the middle to play Brooke Usrey.
LSUA responded in their half of the inning with three more runs. Dunbar drove in Thibodeaux and Moody with a triple before Howell plated Dunbar with a single up the middle.
An RBI double from Ursey in the sixth and an RBI single from Presley Humphrey in the seventh were all the Eagles managed in the game's final innings.
Howell finished with three hits and three batted in. Moody, Romero, and Dunbar each collected two hits. Dunbar also drove in three.
UP NEXT
LSUA heads to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a doubleheader against William Carey University on Tuesday, March 24.
