FOR THE HEROES PHOTOS
LONGVIEW – LeTourneau's softball team broke out the brooms Friday, sweeping Louisiana College, 5-0 and 7-5, on a day the YellowJackets honored fallen soldiers.
It was the first series sweep of the season for the Jackets, who moved within a game of the .500 mark.
In the opener,
Bailey Richey (5-2) went the distance in the circle for the second straight game, allowing three hits, no walks, and struck out four in the shutout. It was her first shutout of the season, and the first time in a start she did not allow a walk.
Hana Bonner went 1-for-3 with a two-run triple.
Katelyn Trombley was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Emilee Anderson was 2-for-2.
Lauren Wilking was 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base.
LETU (8-9, 7-8 American Southwest Conference) scored all five of its runs in the third inning. Trombley singled to the right side to drive in Anderson. Wilking scored on a wild pitch.
Callie Poore drove in
Mickenzie Murry, and Bonner belted the two-run triple to right to score Trombley and
Brooke Vaughn, who had a stolen base.
In the second game, the YellowJackets jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two innings before the Wildcats (9-15, 4-8) scored three times in the top half of the third to pull within a run. LeTourneau added a run in the fifth before Louisiana College got one back in its next at-bat to cut it to 6-5. But Poore, who went 4-for-4 with four RBI ripped her second double of the game for an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and LETU reliever
Alysa Torres held on for the save.
Murry was 2-for-4.
Ashley Crawford went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Anderson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Trombley went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Torres was 1-for-3. Bonner went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple.
Poore had a run-scoring single in the first to put the Jackets up 1-0. Bonner's second triple of the day came on the next at-bat to make it 2-0. After LC scored once in the second, Anderson beat out an infield single to drive in a run in the Jackets' half of the inning. Poore singled to right to score two more. The Wildcats scored three times in their next at-bat to make it a one-run game.
In the fifth, Crawford had a bunt single to score a run, giving the Jackets a two-run cushion. Desiree Squires homered to right in the sixth, pulling the 'Cats within a run again. But Poore followed up a double by Trombley with a two-bagger of her own for the insurance run.
Hannah Welch (1-4) was credited with the win after allowing four runs, six hits and no walks in 2.1 innings. She had two strikeouts. Torres earned her first save, working the final 4.2 innings, allowing a run, three hits and three walks.
LeTourneau will play at Ozarks Friday and Saturday.
