LONGVIEW, Texas - A five-run fifth inning by the visiting Sul Ross State University softball team would force the LeTourneau University softball team to need extra-innings to come away with a 6-5, eight-inning win on Tuesday, March 13th at the LETU Softball Field.
The win gives LETU their first American Southwest Conference Series win of the year to improve to 5-9 overall and 4-8 in the ASC. SRSU falls to 9-7 overall with the loss and 7-5 in the ASC with all seven losses coming away from the comfort of their home field.
LeTourneau would shut down the Lobos offensively early in the game, limiting Sul Ross to just two hits through the first four innings of play thanks in part to a shutdown pitching performance from sophomore
Julie Martinez. The YellowJackets would use a two-run first inning with an RBI single from catcher
Macey Mize to score leadoff batter
Ethel Warren followed by an
Ashlin Roach RBI double to take the two-run lead just one inning into the game.
Kelsi Coleman would give LETU a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a one-out infield single to score
Jacie Gilbert as part of a two-run second by LeTourneau to go up 4-0 and looking for more. An RBI single by
Hana Bonner in the bottom of the third to score
Katelyn Trombley, but the YellowJackets would see their offensive production go silent from that point forward as eight runners would be stranded in the final four innings of regulation.
Sul Ross State scored all five of their runs in the top of the fifth, utilizing two walks and an LETU error to go along with four hits to tie the game after trailing the entire game. LeTourenau's best chance to reclaim the lead would come in the bottom of the fifth, but fail to capitalize after putting two runners on with just one out.
In extra innings, the YellowJackets would force a one-two-three inning from the Lobos, presenting themselves with the opportunity to win in their half of the eighth inning. Roach would get on with a leadoff single and move to second on a sacrifice bunt by Trombley that saw both runners safely reach base. Fillbrandt would then take her turn to lay down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. With Bonner up to bat, the YellowJackets elected to lay down a sacrifice bunt and send Roach for home, beating the throw and tag to score the game-winning run.
Junior
Faith Genoway earned the win in the circle, throwing four innings in relief while allowing just two hits. Martinez took the no decision after throwing four innings of work, giving up just a total of four hits to 17 total batters.
Mize led LETU with a three-for-five effort at the plate with two RBIs while Gilbert and Trombley each had two hits in three at-bats. LeTourneau collected a total of 14 hits in the game, with eight different batters getting at least one hit.
An eight-game in six-day stretch will conclude tomorrow morning for the YellowJackets, with LETU taking on Trinity University Texas in non-conference action for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
