Abilene, Texas - The Centenary Ladies softball team split a pair of non-conference games on Friday in the Hardin Simmons University/McMurry University Spring Break Tournament, defeating McMurry 5-3 in eight innings and falling to Howard Payne by a score of 9-0.
Game 1 Recap:
Centenary jumped out to a 2-0 lead after its first at-bat in game one versus the War Hawks of McMurry at Edwards Field. A three-run third inning put McMurry (5-4) ahead by a run and then the Ladies tied it in the top of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. The Maroon and White scored two in the top of the eighth then retired the War Hawks in the bottom half to pick up the victory.
Freshman Cambry Bates (Readhimer, La.) picked up her first career win in the circle as she pitched 4.1 innings in relief of starter Kirstyn Gomez (Deer Park, Texas) and did not allow a run on just two hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Gomez went 2.2 innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits with three walks and no strikeouts. Freshman Hailee Leger (Belle Chasse, La.) earned her third save of the season with a strikeout in one inning of work. She got the last out with the tying run at the plate and two outs. McMurry starter Nichole Pinney (0-1) took the loss as she allowed five runs, two earned, and six hits in 7.1 innings of work. She struck out two and did not walk a batter and allowed one home run.
Freshman right fielder Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) was 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore left fielder Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and senior Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.) was 1-4 with a clutch game-tying solo homer in the seventh leading off the inning, her second long ball of the season.
Game 2 Recap:
The Ladies and Yellow Jackets were tied for the first three innings and then Howard Payne (9-4) scored seven in the top of the fourth and added two more in the seventh to complete the shutout victory.
Leger started and was the tough-luck losing pitcher as she went 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs, none earned, on eight hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts. Junior pitcher Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.) relieved her and pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing two runs, both were earned, on five hits. She did not walk a batter and had one strikeout. Howard Payne took advantage of two Ladies' errors in the fourth inning to score seven runs in the frame. Yellow Jackets' starter Tia Ca,pos (4-2) went the distance and allowed just five hits and no runs with two walks and five K's.
Cox had two more hits in game two to lead the Ladies' offense. The rookie is now batting an impressive .300 on the season with a team-high 12 hits and now has three multi-hit games. Four Howard Payne players collected at least two hits in game two.
The Ladies (8-7) will wrap up their weekend in west Texas on Saturday with a doubleheader versus Hardin Simmons with games set for Noon and 2 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available for both games on Saturday at the links below:
Stats: https://www.hsuathletics.com/sports/w-softbl/2020-21/boxscores/20210313_xrv5.xml
Video: https://hsuathletics.com/broadcasts
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