MARSHALL, Texas -- The YellowJackets gained a split with visiting York (Pa.) behind a potent offense, winning game one, 14-6, but falling in game two 14-13. The games were played at Bell Park, the home of ETBU softball, due to inclement and previous weather making the LETU softball field unavailable.

LeTourneau collected 22 hits in the two games and drew 22 walks, providing the offense all the chances they would need to put up big offensive numbers.

GAME ONE - LeTourneau 14, York 6

Behind five RBIs from Jenna Rosson and sixteen free bases from five Spartan errors and 11 walks, the YellowJackets came back to earn a 14-6 win in a run-rule shortened game.

Paiton Altmiller (1-0) was excellent out of the bullpen for LeTourneau, gaining her first win of the season. She threw 3.2 scoreless frames, striking out two. Kirstin Ferguson got her first save of the season as well with a scoreless 0.2 innings, picking up a punchout.

After falling behind 6-2 in the second inning, the YellowJackets needed to mount a comeback.

They came back, alright.

Jaci Taylor scored the first of 14 unanswered runs on an error in the bottom of the second, and then a three-run third inning tied the score, with Maddie Flanery and Kylie Grisham driving in two of the three runs in that frame.

Rosson would untie the score in the fifth inning, as her double to left center field brought home two runs to provide an 8-6 lead. 

LeTourneau added the final six runs in the sixth inning, with Rosson and Ferguson punching through a pair of two-RBI singles, with Ferguson's proving to be the final knockout blow.

Spartan catcher Emma Wade led the offense with three hits and two RBIs, with outfielder Jordyn Woodling adding another two hits and two RBIs. Natalie Rietema (1-5) was handed the loss for York.

GAME TWO - York 14, LeTourneau 13

The YellowJackets nearly pulled off another comeback win in game two, but the rally fell one run short in a 14-13 loss.

Jaci Taylor drove in four runs on a pair of hits, while Maddie Flanery and Kylie Grisham added a pair of RBIs apiece.

After going down early again, 3-0, four unanswered runs, aided by RBIs by Maddie Flanery and Kylei Grisham, put LeTourneau back on top 4-3. 

The Spartans would answer back this time, however, scoring seven straight runs to take a 10-4 lead, with three of the runs being driven in by a pair of homers from Gretchen Barstadt.

LeTourneau would not go down without a fight, though, mustering a five-run bottom of the fifth inning to cut it to 10-9. A pair of RBI walks from Kirstin Ferguson and Raina Doggett, plus a sacrifice fly from Alexa Neilon and a two-RBI single from Taylor, were responsible for the outburst. 

After York added four runs in the top of the sixth, the YellowJackets appeared to have the answer they were looking for, getting the tying and go-ahead runs on base. However, the tying run, Grisham, was thrown out at third base on Taylor's second two-RBI single of the evening to end the frame, with LeTourneau down 14-13.

Maddi Smith would put the tying run back on base in the seventh inning with a leadoff walk, but she would be stranded at second base after a hotshot grounder from Neilon would be snagged at third and thrown across in time to conclude the game.

Barstadt (1-0) went 4-for-4 on the day with two homers and five RBIs at the plate, and earned the win in the circle with 2.1 innings of relief, striking out one. Emma Wade added another trio of hits and two RBIs for the Spartans.

Kirstin Ferguson (3-3) was given the loss for LeTourneau.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau hits the road on March 18 for a doubleheader at St. Thomas, with the first game scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS

Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.