Ladies Edge 'Roos To Remain Undefeated In SCAC Play

Sherman, Texas – The Centenary softball team recorded a 6-5 comeback win over the Austin College 'Roos in nine innings on Saturday afternoon in the opening contest of a three-game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series played at Sherman High School.

The Ladies (7-12, 3-0 SCAC) remain undefeated in conference play and shook off a doubleheader sweep to LeTourneau University on Tuesday in Longview, Texas. The 'Roos fell to 11-10 overall and 0-4 in SCAC play.

Austin College led 3-0 after an inning and 4-1 after three innings, but Centenary outscored the 'Roos 5-1 the rest of the game to record the comeback victory. The Ladies are off to their best start in conference play since beginning the 2019 campaign 8-0.

The 'Roos jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning but the Ladies began to chip away with one run in the top of the third. After Austin College answered with another run in its half of the third to make it 4-1, Centenary scored the next three runs to tie the game in the fifth at 4-4.

Austin College scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead but a single run in the seventh tied the game and sent it to extra innings where the Ladies scored a run in the ninth to win a thriller.

Each team banged out 10 hits and the Ladies walked once and did not strike out in 34 at-bats while leaving just six on base and playing error-free ball. The 'Roos made one error, walked three times, struck out twice, and left eight on base.

Junior P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.) started in the circle and went three innings as she allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits with a walk and no strikeouts. She faced 17 batters and threw 58 pitches – 37 for strikes. Junior Emma Shepherd (Athens, La.) came in for Scarbrock and picked up the win as she worked the final six innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits with two BB and two K's. She faced 23 batters and threw 79 pitches (47 strikes).

Alexus Johnson started and took the loss for the 'Roos as she went 8.2 innings and allowed six runs, five earned, and 10 hits with a BB and no K's. She faced 38 batters, hit one, and threw 105 pitches – 75 for strikes. Carrie Johnson relieved her and got the final out in the ninth, throwing three pitches.

Sophomore 3B River Boultinghouse (Saint Gabriel, La.) had a big game for the Ladies as she went 3-3 with a pair of triples, an RBI and two runs scored, and senior RF Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) was 1-2 with three RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Sophomore SS Catherine Stokes (Natchitoches, La.) went 1-5 with the game-winning RBI double in the ninth to score Cox and senior 1B Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.) finished 2-4 with a stolen base.

Sophomore 2B Emma Crow (Krotz Springs, La.) was 1-4 with a run scored, sophomore DP Abigail Hodgson (Georgetown, Texas) went 1-3 with a walk, and freshman LF Janae Bland (Livingston, Texas) was 1-4 with a run.

Austin College was led on offense by SS Elizabeth Preston (2-4 with an RBI and a run scored), LF/CF Tori Fowler (2-5 with a run scored), and DP Hannah King (2-3 with two RBI, two doubles, a BB and a run). 2B Chyrsi Hemby went 1-4 with a walk and a run, Carrie Johnson was 1-3 with two RBI and a run, and Alexus Johnson and Lyndsey Busch each went 1-4.

Carrie Johnson's two-run double put Austin College ahead 2-0 and King doubled to make it 3-0 after one. Cox had a sac fly in the third to make it 3-1 but another RBI double by King made it 4-1 in the bottom half. A run scored on a passed ball for the Ladies in the fourth and an RBI triple by Boultinghouse followed by another sac fly from Cox tied the game in the fifth.

Preston's infield single in the sixth scored King to make it 5-4 Austin College but Fowler popped up to strand two runners and end the inning. Crow singled to lead off the seventh and Cox singled her home to tie the game with two outs. Each team left runners on in the eighth as the game moved to the ninth inning.

Bland grounded out to start the inning but Boultinghouse delivered a single. Cox reached on a fielder's choice and Bland was out at second. Cox then stole second base and Stokes ripped a clutch, two-out single to being Cox home and give the Ladies the lead.  Shepherd then retired Fowler, Butler, and Hemby in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.

The series concludes on Sunday with a DH set for Noon and 2 p.m.

See the complete Ladies' season schedule here:  https://centenary.prestosports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/schedule 

Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests.

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