LONGVIEW, Texas -- Kylie Grisham hit two homers in game one, but the LeTourneau softball team was turned away twice by No. 15-ranked Texas Lutheran in a doubleheader to open the season on Friday at the Joyce Family Athletic Village.

Texas Lutheran hung on for an 11-8 win in the opener before completing the sweep with an 8-0 victory in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: Texas Lutheran 11, LeTourneau 8

LeTourneau nearly came back from a 7-0 deficit, but the visiting Bulldogs held on for an 11-8 win in the opener.

Kylie Grisham went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead the YellowJackets. Maddie Flanery posted her first career multi-hit game by going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs scored. Lexi Hutchins, Leighton Landreth, Lilly Longoria, and Jenna Carter all had one hit each.

Texas Lutheran jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the first and led 8-1 entering the bottom of the third.

In the home-half of the third, LeTourneau scored four times. Grisham doubled home Flanery before RBI singles from Hutchins, Landreth, and Carter brought the YellowJackets within 8-5.

Down 9-5 in the fourth, Grisham crushed a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer to make it 9-7. 

Grisham was at it again in the sixth as she launched a solo homer right down the left field line to get LeTourneau within 9-8. It was her first career multi-homer game.

Texas Lutheran added two runs in the seventh and held on for the win.

Hailee Leger (0-1) went the distance for the YellowJackets and allowed five earned runs, but struck out six, while throwing 131 pitches.

Kourtney Bellinger (1-0) got the win in relief for the Bulldogs as she went four innings allowing one run on one hit. Caelee Clark, Kylee Jack, and Madison Johnson all had multi-hit games for TLU.

GAME TWO: Texas Lutheran 8, LeTourneau 0

LeTourneau bats were silenced as reigning All-American Ashlyn Strother allowed just one hit and Texas Lutheran pulled away for an 8-0 victory in the finale.

Kenna Hendry had the lone hit with her single in the first inning.

Strother (3-0) struck out nine and did not walk a batter in the victory.

Texas Lutheran got two runs in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth, and two more in the fifth. Jack and Abby Touchet both homered for the Bulldogs.

Lexi Hutchins (0-1) made the start and went 2.2 innings before Laney Taylor came on in relief. The tandem did not walk a batter and combined for four strikeouts.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau hosts St. Thomas on Saturday for a doubleheader (1 p.m.).

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