The LeTourneau University softball team split a doubleheader with the University of the Ozarks on Tuesday in Clarksville, Arkansas. The YellowJackets dropped game one, 5-1 and bounced back for an 8-0 win in six innings in game two.
 
The YellowJackets (8-3, 3-2 ASC) had seven hits in game one and followed that up with a 13-hit attack in the nightcap. Four-different players (Brittany Avila – game one; Kelsie Benson, Rachel Gauspohl and Madison Gray) had two or more hits to lead the LETU offense. Out of the bullpen, in game one, Kaylee Pritchett pitched four innings of scoreless relief and in the nightcap, starter Ashley Burdine (pictured) allowed just two hits in the complete game win.
 
Game 1
Ozarks scored five runs on three hits in the second inning en route to the 5-1 win to take game one. Lady Eagles third baseman Hailie Tolich accounted for three of the 10 hits in the win. Starting pitcher Hailie Gilbert went the distance, scattering seven hits and allowing a run in the fifth for the win.
 
Of the seven hits for LeTourneau, Avila had her second multi-hit game of the season with two hits.  LETU plated its only run on a sacrifice fly by Brianna Williams, scoring Rachel Gauspohl, who reached on a walk to start the inning. YellowJackets' starter Courtney Matulis went two innings, allowing five hits and five runs (two earned) in the loss to fall to 0-1.
 
Game 2
The potent offense returned for LeTourneau in the nightcap as they pounded out 13 hits. It is the third time on the season that LeTourneau has had 10 or more hits and sixth time they have scored five or more runs in a game. Burdine picked up her second-straight shutout, holding Ozarks to a single in the first and fifth. Defensively, Matulis in right field kept the Eagles off the scoreboard with a diving catch with runners on second and third with two out.
 
LeTourneau took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Kaderli, scoring Rachel Gauspohl, who led off the inning with a walk. Again, Kaderli did the damage in the fourth inning, scoring Benson on a double to left field to put LETU ahead 2-0.
 
Holding a 2-0 lead, the offense exploded for six runs on five hits as 10 batters came to the plate in the sixth. Two came in on a two-RBI double by Brianna Williams and two more came in on a double down the left-field line by Nikole Williams.  
 
Burdine secured the shutout as Ozarks stranded a pair of base runners in the fourth and fifth innings. In addition to the play by Matulis in the fourth, the YellowJackets' Megan Hill turned an unassisted double play at second in the fifth.  
 
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Wednesday at 11 a.m.