LONGVIEW, Texas -- The location change didn't impact the LeTourneau softball team's ability to hit.
Forced to move Friday night's series opener to Longview High School due to field conditions on campus, LeTourneau hit three home runs and used a seven-run fifth inning to run-rule Howard Payne, 11-3, in the series opener.
LeTourneau (10-8, 3-1 ASC) has won three straight games for the second time this season.
Leighton Landreth homered twice and
Kylie Grisham also went yard as the YellowJackets tallied 11 hits in the victory.
Landreth hit her first home run in the second inning, a line shot over the center field wall, to make it 1-0. In the fourth, Landreth launched her second home run, another solo shot, to left field. It was her first career multi-homer game and gives her three home runs on the year.
LeTourneau trailed 2-1 entering the fourth before Landreth's blast evened the score. The YellowJackets scored twice more in the inning as
Hailee Leger drove in
Mickenzie Murry with a single and
Jenna Carter followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
Howard Payne (8-11, 1-6 ASC) got within 4-3 in the fifth before LeTourneau opened the floodgates in its half of the frame.
Grisham opened the fifth with a solo blast to left field, her third homer of the year. A Murry double after Landreth walked put runners on second and third with one out.
Lexi Hutchins capitalized with a double down the left field line to score two and Leger followed a double down the right field line to plate Hutchins and make it 8-3.
Two batters later,
Maddie Flanery drove a pitch into the gap and a miscommunication between the Howard Payne outfielders allowed the ball to drop on the warning track and Flanery ended up with a two-run triple to bring the margin to 10-3.
Payton Bauer finished the game with a single through the drawn-in infield to score Flanery.
Leger (4-4) got the win in the circle as she went five innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.She also went 3-for-3 with two RBIs at the plate.
Landreth and Hutchins each had two hits apiece, while Landreth scored three runs.
Howard Payne starter Bree Cason (6-7) picked up the loss as she went 4.1 innings with four strikeouts and nine earned runs. Kamryn Gomez was 2-for-3 with a two-run single for the visiting Yellow Jackets.
UP NEXT
Saturday's doubleheader has been moved to Hallsville, Texas and Hallsville High School softball field. Game one is set for 12 p.m.
FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS
Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.
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