The LeTourneau softball team dropped a pair of close decisions to No. 18 Louisiana College, 1-0 and 5-3 on Tuesday evening in Pineville, Louisiana.
 
Game 1
LeTourneau (10-17, 5-14 ASC) senior Kaylee Pritchett (pictured above) gave up a run in the third inning that was just enough for the Wildcats' victory in game one. Pritchett allowed just six hits and struck out two in the loss.
 
Louisiana College (22-5, 17-2 ASC) pitcher Savannah Settle limited the visiting YellowJackets' to just two hits – a double by Kelsie Benson and a single by Courtney Matulis in the fifth. The Wildcats' got on the scoreboard in the third on an infield RBI single by Emorie Nugent. They started the inning with a single by Jayde Westbrook, then she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Pritchett got a strike out for the second out of the inning, Nugent delivered the infield hit for the only run.
 
Game 2
Le Tourneau quickly got on the board in the nightcap, but it was a two-run home run Abby Maillet in the bottom of the 10^th that was the deciding factor in a 5-3 defeat.
 
The YellowJackets scored twice in the first inning, sending seven batters to the plate and quickly ending the day for Louisiana College starter Taylor Leger. Junior Megan Hill (pictured below), who continues to swing a hot bat for the YellowJackets, started the game with a single down the right field line. She advanced to second and third on a pair of wild pitches by Leger. Then, after a Taylor Kaderli walk, junior Rachel Gauspohl drove in Hill with a RBI double down the left field line which ended the day for Leger. Later in the inning, the YellowJackets loaded the bases for freshman Madison Gray, who picked up a walk to score Gauspohl for the early lead. Louisiana College tied it in the fourth inning with two runs on three hits. In the inning, Laura Gulotta-Parrish hit a home run and a RBI single by Westbrook to tie the game at 2.
 
In the 10^th with the game tied at 2 and with the international tiebreaker in effect, Kaderli was placed on second. Then, she moved to third on a Gauspohl sacrifice bunt and after a fielding error by the Wildcats' put LETU ahead 3-2. Louisiana College answered in its half of the inning with a pair of runs for the win. An unearned run plated the first run for the host Wildcats. With the winning run on second, Maillet hit a home run to end the contest.
 
Despite the loss, Hill and Benson each had two hits for LeTourneau and sophomore pitcher Courtney Matulis, allowed nine hits and struck out three in the loss. For Louisiana College, in the win, Darian Thacker came out of the bullpen to pitch the final six innings of one-hit relief and strike out three for the win.
 
The two teams will wrap up the series on Wednesday at 3 p.m.