Marshall, Texas- The Centenary softball team was swept in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday by the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors, 3-1 and 2-1, in the Jan Gentry Classic at Taylor Field on the campus of East Texas Baptist University.
The Ladies (4-10) were also swept in a DH on Sunday in Marshall against Illinois Wesleyan University and have lost six games in a row. Eastern Connecticut improved to 4-2 with the sweep.
Game one recap: Eastern Connecticut 3 Centenary 1
The Ladies and Warriors each scored a run in the first and the game remained tied 1-1 until ECSU pushed across two runs in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead which proved to be the final.
ECSU starting pitcher Alyssa Vilchez (2-0) held the Ladies to just two hits as she went the distance and allowed just one unearned run with two walks and one strikeout. She faced 27 batters and threw 77 pitches – 48 for strikes. The Warriors banged out 10 hits against Centenary starter sophomore P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.) as she took the loss to fall to 2-3. Freshman Abigail Hodgson (Georgetown, Texas) relieved Scarbrock and got the final two outs of the sixth inning. Scarbrock allowed three runs, all earned, and did not walk a batter with three K's. She faced 26 batters and threw 78 pitches, 55 for strikes.
ECSU left seven on base and committed two errors, struck out three times and did not draw a walk. The Warriors had three extra-base hits and stole one base. The Ladies finished with a pair of walks, just one strikeout at the plate, did not commit an error and left five on. They had two stolen bases and one double.
Junior LF Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) started the game with a bunt single and moved to second when freshman 2B Catherine Stokes (Natchitoches, La.) reached on an error. Senior SS Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third with one out and sophomore DP Viviana Rivero (Redondo Beach, Calif.) delivered a sacrifice fly to center for a 1-0 lead.
The Warriors answered in the bottom half as 3B Julia SanGiovanni drove in Vilchez with a single. SanGiovanni and C Maddy Bowen each had two hits in the game and six other Warriors had one hit. Freshman C/UT Jaeden Thrasher (Forney, Texas) doubled to right center with two outs in the fourth and sophomore 1B Kaitlyn Dickey (Church Point, La.) walked followed by Thrasher stealing third. Centenary had a chance to take the lead but Vilchez got sophomore 3B Alyssa Akers (Maurice, La.) to ground out to third to end the inning.
Patridge made it to third with two outs in the sixth for another chance for the Maroon and White to break the tie, but Thrasher grounded out to end the inning. 2B Maddie Sauve had a go-ahead RBI single in the infield to score LF Carley Stoker and the Warriors' third run scored on a wild pitch. The Ladies were then retired in order in the top of the seventh.
Game two recap: Eastern Connecticut 2 Centenary 1
The Ladies struck first again in game two as Thrasher blasted a solo home run, the first of her career, to right field with one out in the top of the second for an early 1-0 lead. Neither team scored until the Warriors plated two in the bottom of the fifth and held on the rest of the way for the one-run win.
P Victoria Heapy led off the fifth with a solo home run to tie the game and the winning run scored on an error by Hodgson. Heapy started and went four innings as she allowed one earned run on five hits with two walks and four K's. She faced 19 batters and threw 72 pitches – 43 for strikes.
Scarbrock relieved her and went the final 1.2 innings, facing five batters and throwing just nine pitches (5 strikes). Hodgson (0-4) went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with one BB and no K's. She faced 17 batters and threw 48 pitches (31 strikes). Carley Stoker (2-0) pitched the final three innings for the Warriors and picked up the win as she allowed just one hit and a BB with four K's. She faced 11 batters and threw 41 pitches (25 strikes).
The Ladies finished with six hits and one costly error while drawing three walks, striking out eight times, and leaving eight on base. The Warriors totaled just three hits and played error-free ball. They walked once, did not strike out, and left just two on base.
Patridge had two hits, Thrasher, Rivero, and senior CF Mallory Stout (Trinity, Texas) each had one, and junior 1B Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.) had one.
The Ladies will return home this weekend to open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play against the University of St. Thomas Celts. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at Noon and 2 p.m. followed by a single game on Sunday at Noon.
See the Ladies' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2022-23/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests and Live stats and live video stream are available for all home contests as well. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
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