Marshall, Texas - The Centenary softball team was swept in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday by the East Texas Baptist University Tigers by scores of 6-2 and 11-0 in five innings at Taylor Field.
The Ladies (5-4) will now have four days to rest up before beginning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play at home this weekend when they face Austin College in a three-game series. ETBU improved to 5-0 win the pair of wins.
The Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings in game one and added a run in the fourth and then the Ladies scored twice in the top of the sixth, getting two runs on four hits. Centenary finished the game with five hits and an uncharacteristic five errors. ETBU scored their six runs on seven hits and committed two errors.
Sophomore third baseman Britlyn Garrett (Stonewall, La.) led off the Centenary sixth with a single to center field and stole second base. After freshman right fielder Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) struck out followed by a Mackenzie Clark (Upland, Calif.) foul out, SS Jaymee Wilkinson (Brazoria, Texas) delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to get the Ladies on the board. Senior C Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.) then singled and freshman Cambry Bates (Readhimer, La.) drove Wilkinson in for the Ladies' second run of the game.
Freshman pitcher Hailee Leger (Belle Chasse, La.) got the start and suffered the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season. She allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits in her four innings of work. She did not walk a batter and struck out one. Junior Kirstyn Gomez (Deer Park, Texas) relieved Leger and pitched the final two innings, allowing just a single hit. Leger has amazingly still not walked a batter yet this season in 31.2 innings pitched. She has 21 strikeouts and an impressive 1.77 ERA.
ETBU starter Preslye Cox (2-0) pitched a complete game for the Tigers as she allowed just the two late runs, both earned, on five hits with one walk and 11 K's. Second baseman Sarah Cedillo went 2-3 with two runs scored to pace the Tigers' offense. Catcher Sydnee Shea was 1-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
In game two, the Tigers scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second then exploded for nine in the bottom of the fourth before retiring the Ladies in the next half inning to claim the five-winning win, 11-0. ETBU collected 12 hits and limited the Ladies to just two. Centenary also committed three errors in game two.
Junior pitcher Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.), who was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon, suffered her first loss of the season to fall to 3-1. She allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks and three K's. Ashley Croft was the winner in the circle for ETBU in game two as she improved to 2-0.
Hunter won a pair of games this past week and despite Monday's loss she still leads the SCAC in wins. She defeated Hendrix on Feb. 25 as she pitched six innings and allowed just one earned run and five hits with one walk and four strikeouts in a 9-1 Ladies' win. Hunter then beat Millsaps on Feb. 27 in the first game of a doubleheader, a 4-1 Ladies' victory, as she once again allowed just a single earned run on four hits in five innings of work. She walked two and had 3 K's to earn her well-deserved Pitcher of the Week honor.
The series this weekend versus the Austin College 'Roos will be the Ladies' first games at home this season. The teams are scheduled to play a DH on Saturday at Noon and 2 p.m. and a single game on Sunday the 7th.
Live stats and live video will be available for all three games.
A link to the Ladies' complete season schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule.
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