MARSHALL, Texas -- A five-run third inning gave the No. 4 seeded LeTourneau softball team a 5-0 lead on No. 1-ranked, and top seeded, East Texas Baptist but the YellowJackets could not hang on in a 10-5 loss in the ASC Tournament on Thursday night at Bell Park.

LeTourneau (16-26) will face No. 3 seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor in an elimination game on Friday at 1 p.m.

Facing the No. 1 team in the nation for the fifth time this season, LeTourneau had the first punch of the contest.

The YellowJackets sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run third inning to take a 5-0 lead. Lilly Longoria, Jenna Carter, and Maddie Flanery opened the inning with consecutive singles to load the bases. A walk from Jaci Taylor brought in the first run and Leighton Landreth followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 lead.

A steal of home by Kylie Grisham and an error from ETBU allowed another run to cross as LeTourneau scored five runs on five hits in the frame.

ETBU (38-3) responded in the fifth inning with seven runs to take the lead for good. The host Tigers trailed 5-2 entering the frame but scored seven times for a 9-5 lead. Tristen Maddox broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run single to center field and a Bella Morales two-run double provided a cushion for the home side.

Landreth finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs for LeTourneau, while Longoria, Flanery, Jenna Rosson, and Carter all had one hit each.

Kirstin Ferguson (6-12) made the start and went 4.2 innings. Paiton Altmiller tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

Hannah Benavides (8-1) earned the win in relief as she went the final 4.2 innings. Emma Bell was 3-for-4 to lead the Tigers.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau faces Mary Hardin-Baylor in an ASC Tournament elimination game on Friday at 1 p.m.

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