PINEVILLE, LA.- Holding a second-place standing in the American Southwest Conference, the LeTourneau University softball team headed South for more conference action as they split a doubleheader with Louisiana College by scores of 6-5 and 3-1 on Friday, March 22nd.

The split moved the YellowJackets to 14-9 overall and 11-6 in ASC play while the Wildcats now stand at 17-7 on the season and 8-6 in conference play.

Game One:
Emilee Anderson got things going in the top of the third for the YellowJackets by reaching base along with Maycie Walton to set up Haydn Parker for a two-RBI double to center field to put LETU up 2-0. Ethel Warren followed as she brought Parker around with a double of her own to increase the lead to three. LC would be held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth as the Wildcats would score two runs off four hits and one LETU error to pull themselves within one.

Continuing the back and forth, LETU tacked on another run in the top half of the fifth when a Taylor Nichols RBI double brought Anderson across. Katelyn Trombley then sent a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Nichols home from third which gave the YellowJackets a 5-2 lead.

The Wildcats chipped away at the lead once again, recording two hits in the fifth while managing to get one run back. LETU did the same in the top of the sixth as senior Macey Mize grabbed her first RBI of the contest scoring Silver Montgomery to put LeTourneau up 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Trying to make things interesting, the Wildcats gained one run back in the sixth and threatened in the bottom half of the seventh by scoring one run off two hits but stranded the game-tying runner which allowed the YellowJackets to squeeze by with a 6-5 victory.

Bailey Richey earned her fifth win of the season in the circle, tossing a complete game and five runs (three earned) on 12 hits. Parker and Warren led the LETU offense with three hits each while six other YellowJackets added one each.

Game Two:
Anderson was the first to cross the plate again in game two as Parker would drive her in off an infield ground out to give the YellowJackets an early 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats knotted things in the bottom half of the frame, scoring one run off an infield single. LC would then take their first lead of the day in the third by bringing across two runs off four hits. LETU would escape further damage by getting out of a bases-loaded jam to leave the deficit at two going into the final four innings of play.  

Pitching and defense would take over as the game went on with the LETU offense being held to just three hits to close out the game. The best opportunity to tie things up for the YellowJackets would come in the top of the seventh as an error and one-out single would bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but a fly out and pop out would end the game and allow the Wildcats to tie the season series at 1-1.  

Leigh Luker (2.2 innings) and Samantha Akers (3.1 innings) would both see action in the circle for LeTourneau, with each striking out one batter. Anderson had a team-high three hits for LETU with the other three hits coming from Trombley, Kiley Banks, and Ashley Crawford.
 
What's Next?
A series victory will be on the line tomorrow with action resuming at 12 p.m. for game three of the three-game set.