BROWNWOOD, Texas – Dropping the series opener by a score of 3-2, the LeTourneau University softball team would make quick work of Howard Payne University by winning 12-0 in five innings in game two to split a doubleheader at Lady Jacket Field in Brownwood, Texas on Friday, March 16th.
 
The split is the third consecutive American Southwest Conference series doubleheader split for the YellowJackets while improving to 7-11 overall and 5-9 in the ASC. HPU is now 4-15-2 overall and 1-10 in the ASC following today's action.
 
Game One:
Both hits and runs would be hard to come by for both teams in the series opener, as just five total hits would score one run in the first five innings of play. LETU would put a runner in scoring position to open the game in the top of the first, but a pair of pop outs would strand a runner at second before seeing Howard Payne take advantage of a leadoff double to take a 1-0 lead. The single-run would prove to be the only serious threat for either team to score a run until the top of the sixth when the bats would awake for both teams.
 
LeTourneau would see freshman Jacie Gilbert give LETU their first hit since the top of the fourth inning with a leadoff single in the top of the sixth as the hit would be just their third hit of the game. Macey Mize would take full advantage of a runner being on base, depositing a hit into the left center field gap that allowed Gilbert to score from first before taking third base on the throw home to leave LeTourneau with the go ahead run just 60 feet away. Sophomore Shelby Barrick would keep things going with an RBI single to put LETU up by a score of 2-1, but see the inning stall out after taking the lead as a sacrifice bunt and two pop outs ended the inning.
 
HPU would have some sixth-inning heroics of their own, using a leadoff double and hit batter to put two runners on with no outs before a sacrifice bunt would put both runners in scoring position and the Yellow Jackets poised to reclaim the lead. A groundout to third in the next at-bat came as a big second out defensively for LETU, but a two-RBI single in the next at-bat would bring home both runners and allow Howard Payne to take a 3-2 lead heading to the top of the seventh.
 
LeTourneau would manage to put the game-tying run on with one out after Kelsi Coleman would collect her only hit of the game with a one-out double, but a game-ending double play gave host Howard Payne the victory.
 
Despite pitching a complete game, sophomore Julie Martinez (1-2) would take the loss in the circle while allowing just three runs on five hits and striking out a season-high five batters. Junior Ashlin Roach along with Gilbert would lead the way with two hits each, as Mize and Coleman would collect the only extra-base hits of the game for LETU.
 
Game Two:
After scoring in only one inning in the series opening loss, LETU would manage to score in all but one inning in a run-ruled shortened game two by putting up three runs in the first, one in the second and fifth innings while scoring seven in the fourth to run away with the victory. Gilbert once again would get LeTourneau going, hitting a one-out single in the top of the first before seeing Mize and MacKenzie follow up with back-to-back hits to score Gilbert and put runners on second and third with one out. A Roach single would score Mize and make the score 2-0 in favor of LETU, with MacKenzie scoring on the next play after an error by the Howard Payne shortstop.
 
Two strikeouts by junior Faith Genoway in the bottom of the first would bring LETU back up to the plate in the top of the second, which saw LeTourneau score one run on two hits and a Howard Payne error to put the score at 4-0. A one-two-three inning by HPU in the bottom of the second would keep momentum in favor of LeTourneau, but see the YellowJackets held scoreless in the top of the third to keep the lead at four runs in what would prove to be the halfway point of the game. Howard Payne would be retired in order for the second consecutive inning in the third, bringing LETU back to the plate where they would send 11 batters to the plate while scoring seven runs on five hits and take advantage of two Howard Payne errors to take a controlling 11-0 lead.
 
The no-hit bid by Genoway would be broken up with two outs in the bottom of the fourth as HPU collected their first hit of the game with a single, but see the inning end the same way it ended the first three times around with a strikeout. LeTourneau would tack on one final run in the top of the fifth, with Katelyn Trombley hitting a sacrifice fly to score Mize and make the score 12-0 before ending the game in the bottom of the fifth after working around a pair of one-out singles by Howard Payne.
 
Genoway's three-hit shutout improved her record this season to 3-4 overall, while the complete game marked a team-leading third time she has gone the distance in the circle. Mize and MacKenzie each went three-for-four in the game, combining to score five of LETU's 12 runs in the game while all nine batters for LeTourneau came around to score at least once. Trombley and Hana Bonner would drive in a team-high two runs each with Mize and Bonner providing extra-base hits.
 
Tomorrow's series finale between LETU and HPU will get underway at 12 p.m. from Lady Jacket Field in Brownwood.