Shreveport - The Centenary softball team dropped a doubleheader to the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs, 9-3 and 9-4, on Saturday in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play at the Centenary Softball Complex.
The Ladies (15-16, 8-8 SCAC) honored their two seniors, Brittney Broussard (Rayne, La.) and Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.) after game two as Saturday's games were the Ladies' final two home games of the season. Texas Lutheran improved to 25-4 overall and 16-0 in SCAC play with the sweep.
The Bulldogs raced out to a 6-0 lead in game one before the Ladies responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-2 but then TLU scored three over the final two innings to cruise to the 9-3 win. The Bulldogs collected 18 hits against two Centenary pitchers with six players recording multi-hit games.
Junior P Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.) started and allowed six runs, all earned, and 10 hits in four innings of work. She walked a batter and struck out two. Freshman Cambry Bates (Readhimer, La.) relieved Hunter and pitched the final three innings and allowed three earned runs and eight hits with a walk and a strikeout.
TLU starter Sydney Ouellette (11-2) went the distance to get the win as she allowed three runs, two earned, and four hits in seven innings of work with no walks and three strikeouts. Ouellette threw 77 pitches with 53 for strikes.
Broussard made her Senior day special as she went 1-3 in game one with a two-run home run. Sophomore third baseman Britlyn Garrett (Stonewall. La.) also homered, hitting a solo blast in the seventh.
The Bulldogs scored five in the top of the first in game two and despite the Ladies having plenty of base runners throughout the game, TLU was able to take the 9-4 victory.
Centenary had eight hits, walked three times, and stole a season-high seven bases, one shy of the single-game record in the division III era (2012-present). The Ladies have now stolen an impressive 66 bases this season which is the fifth-most in a single season in the D3 era. The Ladies rank second in the SCAC in stolen bases and rank in the top 15 in the country in division III in the category.
Ladies' freshman right fielder Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) had a superb game as she went 1-2 at the plate with an RBI, three runs scored, two walks, a triple, and three stolen bases. Sophomore 2B Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) went 2-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, and junior SS Jaymee Wilkinson (Brazoria, Texas) was 2-3 with an RBI and swiped a bag.
Centenary freshman Hailee Leger (Belle Chasse, La.) started and allowed seven runs, five earned, and nine hits in 2.1 innings. She walked one and struck out three. Junior Kirstyn Gomez (Deer Park, Texas) relieved Leger and pitched the final 4.2 innings and pitched well, allowing just two earned runs and four hits with a walk.
TLU starter Chassety Raines improved to 6-0 as she allowed just two earned runs and four hits in six innings of work. She walked three and had six K's.
Centenary heads to Kerrville, Texas next weekend to face the Schreiner Mountaineers (15-20, 10-7 SCAC) in a key SCAC series as Schreiner is just a game and a half ahead of the Ladies in the conference standings, sitting in third place while Centenary is tied for fourth with Trinity.
Heading into the final week of the SCAC Softball regular season, five of the six tournament spots have been locked up as Texas Lutheran, Trinity, Schreiner, Centenary and Southwestern have all punched their ticket into the postseason. Schreiner will host the 2021 SCAC Championship April 30-May 2.
Live stats and live video are available for all Ladies home games.
A link to the Ladies' complete schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule
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