CHICKASHA, OK – The two-seeded Louisiana State University of Alexandria softball team eliminated top-seeded University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 9-2, before being eliminated by three-seeded College of Idaho, 10-6.
GAME ONE | LSUA 9, USAO 2
A seven-run third inning propelled the Generals (37-18) to the NAIA Opening Round Championship game.
A sacrifice fly from
Lainee Bailey (19-7) in the first was negated by the Drovers (48-11) in their half of the inning with an RBI single from Lilyana Portillo.
Kaetlyn Dunbar gave the Generals a three-run lead in the third with a bases-clearing triple, driving in
Haley Fontenot,
Sophia Romero, and
Kilee Moody. Bailey then drove in Dunbar with an RBI single to left. Later in the inning, with two runners on,
Livie Thibodeaux reached on an error and drove in
Hayden Cary. Fontenot then doubled home both Shelby VItrano and Thibodeaux for an 8-1 lead.
The Drovers pushed across a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Leighanne Eaton but another RBI from Bailey in the sixth made it a 9-2 game in favor of LSUA.
Bailey threw a complete game and allowed just two runs on seven hits. She struck out five. Dunbar and Bailey both drove in three runs, while Fontenot drove in a pair.
GAME TWO | COI 10, LSUA 6
The Yotes (37-20) scored nine runs over the first two innings to secure the victory in the final.
LSUA was on the board first with an RBI single from Dunbar. The advantage was quickly erased in the bottom of the first, however. Madelyn Powell doubled home Audrey Sweet to tie the game. Isabella Fazzio then drove in Kina Watts for a 2-1 lead. Powell also scored on the play, due in part to an error.
In the second, a solo home run from
Jillian Howell kept the game close at 3-2.
An RBI single from Kamryn Ham and a pair of RBI doubles from Watts and Powell extended the Yotes lead to 7-2, before a bases-loaded walk to Chloe Flerchinger made it 8-2 in the second. The final run of the inning came off a sacrifice fly from Hallie Campbell.
THe Generals attempted to mount a comeback, bringing in runs on a double from Moody, a fielder's choice from Howell, and an RBI single from Thibodeaux. Howell's fielder's choice brought in two runs thanks to a throwing error. Through two-and-a-half, the Generals had cut the deficit to 9-6.
Watts added a run for the Yotes in their half of the third with a single to center for a 10-6 lead.
After Thibodeaux's RBI single in the top of the third, Drew Williams came on to pitch for the Yotes and held the Generals scoreless for 4.2 innings.
Rylle Guillot (11-2) was charged with the loss. She allowed seven runs, five earned, in 1.1 innings.
