PINEVILLE, LA –The one-seeded Louisiana State University of Alexandria softball team fell twice to two-seeded Our Lady of the Lake University, 10-5 and 5-3, in the Red River Athletic Conference Softball Championship finals.
GAME ONE | OLLU 10, LSUA 5
A five-run first inning sparked the Saints (40-10) in the first game.
OLLU, coming off a 7-2 win over Texas A&M-Texarkana in the day's opener to reach the finals, wasted not time in capitalizing on a pair of Generals' (34-16). The Saints recorded four runs after a fielding and throwing error extended the inning. Yezenia Perez, Arianna Alejandro, and Lily Rocha each drove in a run in the inning.
The Generals got a run back in their half of the inning on an RBI triple from
Sophia Romero.
In the third, Alyssa Guzman grounded out for an RBI to make it 6-1 OLLU. Reanna Aguirre then singled to center, driving in Alejandro.
In the fourth, an errant throw allowed
Livie Thibodeaux to score from third and made it 8-2.
Kilee Moody then reached on a throwing error, which allowed Romero to score.
A deep pop out in the fifth went into the books as a sacrifice fly by Marisa Rosales as Aguirre scored to make it 9-3. The Saints added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Novalee Gloria.
Kaetlyn Dunbar scored in the seventh when
Alyssa Soileau reached on a fielding error.
Rylie Jeau Theriot then singled to left, driving in Soileau but the Generals' comeback was halted.
GAME TWO | OLLU 5, LSUA 3
The Saints once again took advantage of costly LSUA errors to claim the RRAC Tournament title.
Valeria Vielma (10-3) and
Lainee Bailey (17-6) held the offenses quiet through the first three innings.
The Generals broke through first in the top of the fourth.
Caitlyn Riche roped a double down the third base line, driving in Moody, for a 1-0 lead.
A trio of LSUA errors in the bottom of the inning allowed the Saints to push five runs across. Only one run was earned. The Saints lead was extended to 5-1.
Dunbar put two on the board for LSUA in the sixth with a two-run home run to left center.
LSUA brought the tying run to the plate in the final inning. A one-out, pinch-hit single from Theriot gave the Generals hope. After a pop out, Romero worked a two-out walk – putting the tying run on first. Vielma forced a pop out to secure the Saints' victory.
UP NEXT
The Generals await the NAIA Softball Selection Show to determine where they will be headed for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.
