LONGVIEW, Texas - After being limited to just four hits in a 5-0 2018 home-opening loss, the LeTourneau University softball team would overcome a three-run deficit to walk off with a grand slam from senior
Ashlin Roach to win by a score of 7-3 in game two to split an American Southwest Conference doubleheader with Louisiana College on Friday, March 9th.
Following the doubleheader, LETU is now 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the ASC while the Wildcats are 5-7 overall and 5-3 in conference.
"Tonight was a great team effort from everybody and we pitched well in both games" said head coach
Stan Wells in a post-game interview. "We just happened to face a really good pitcher in Savannah Settle who has given us a hard time throughout her career, but we really persevered in game two and hopefully it will catapult us to a few more wins here coming up."
Game 1
The 2018 home opener not only would see a struggle for the YellowJackets from a batting standpoint, but also on the defensive side of things as three errors would lead to four of the five LC runs with Louisiana College scoring single runs in the first, third, and fourth innings to go along with two runs in the top of the fifth. LETU would collect two of their four hits with the first two batters of the game in
Ethel Warren and
Jacie Gilbert each colleciting a hit in their first at-bat before being limited to just two hits in their final 23 at-bats.
Other than Warren and Gilbert,
Katelyn Trombley would collect the other two LETU hits, with Trombley and Warren each collecting one extra-base hit. Sophomore
Julie Martinez would take the loss, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing five runs (one earned) on seven hits while only striking out one batter.
Game 2
LeTourneau would need a late rally to win game two, trailing 3-1 after three innings of play before scoring a single run in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 3-3 before earning the walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh. Both teams would threaten early on in the game, putting runners on before seeing both pitching staffs be able to get out of the early jam and head to the top of the third with the score still tied at zero.
LC managed to utilize two walks and a pair of singles to drive in a pair of runs with only one out in the top of the third before adding a third run on a single to take what at the time felt like a lead that would be hard to overcome for LETU. The YellowJackets would remain calm however, using a
Kelsi Coleman leadoff double to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. Junior
Macey Mize would come through with two outs in the inning, hitting a single up the middle, which would score Coleman after the Wildcat second baseman would air mail the throw home and get LeTourneau on the scoreboard.
Louisiana College would manage just one baserunner between the fourth and fifth innings, allowing for LETU to take advantage of the momentum and score a run on a Trombley sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth before seeing
Taylor MacKenzie tie the score up at 3-3 after hitting a solo home run that would sneak inside of the left field foul pole.
A strong defensive effort by LETU would see the YellowJackets work around a two-out double and walk to give themselves a chance to win in the bottom of the seventh, with Warren and Trombley each safely reaching base to begin the inning. Mize would lay down a sacririce bunt to put the game-winning run just 60 feet away from giving LeTourneau their first home-win of the year, which would come through as Roach would get the pitch she was looking for and drive it over the left field fence for a grand-slam.
In total, seven different YellowJacket athletes would collect a hit in the game, led by a perfect three-for-three effort at the plate from Coleman while also scoring two runs. Roach's grand slam would give her a game-high four RBI's in the game while Trombley and MacKenzie also had one RBI each.
The three-game series will conclude tomorrow with a single-game beginning at 12 p.m. from the LETU Softball Field.
