Houston- The Centenary softball team will finish its regular season this weekend as the Ladies face the University of St. Thomas Celts in a three-game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at Noon and 2 p.m. at the West University Softball Association fields.
The series between the Ladies (13-17, 6-12 SCAC) and Celts (20-12, 12-6 SCAC) concludes on Sunday at Noon. Live stats and live video are available for all three games of the series at the links below:
Stats: https://ustcelts.com/sports/sball/2021-22/boxscores/20220423_e83b.xml
Video: https://livestream.com/coopersports3/ustsoftball
The Ladies took a break from conference play on Wednesday as they split a non-conference doubleheader with the LeTourneau University YellowJackets in Longview, falling 2-1 in game one and earning a wild comeback 11-4 win in game two. Centenary won two of three games at home over Schreiner last weekend.
Freshman P Katelyn Moss (4-5) suffered the loss for the Ladies in game one but pitched well as she went five innings and allowed two runs, just one earned, on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. She faced 22 batters and threw 62 pitches, 37 for strikes. Senior Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.) relieved her and pitched the final inning allowed one hit with one walk.
Senior C Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.) had the Ladies' lone RBI in game one as she drove home sophomore RF McKenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) with a two-out single in the first. Cox had reached on an infield single with one out and stole second base. The YellowJackets tied it with an unearned run in the bottom of the first and pushed across the eventual winning run in the fifth. Hunter worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth to keep it a one-run deficit but Leger got the Ladies in order on a strikeout and a pair of groundouts in the seventh to seal the win.
Cox led the Ladies with two hits, scored a run and stole a base. Junior CF Mallory Stout (Trinity, Texas), junior LF Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.), sophomore 1B Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.), freshman 3B Viviana Rivero (Redondo Beach, Calif.) each had one hit.
The Ladies erupted for an astounding 10 runs in the seventh inning of game two, nine coming with two outs, to record a thrilling comeback win. Centenary scored 10+ runs for the third time this season and had 11 hits, marking the 11th time the Maroon and White had double-digit hits in a game this season.
Freshman P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.) was the winner as she tossed a complete game, her team-leading sixth of the season, and allowed just four runs (one earned) on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. She faced 29 batters and threw 100 pitches, 64 for strikes. Scarbrock was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after a superb series last weekend. The rookie picked up two wins, pitched one complete game, and did not allow an earned run in 10.1 innings of work.
LeTourneau took a 2-0 lead after an inning and added a single run in the third for a 3-0 lead. The Ladies scored one in the fourth but the YellowJackets responded with one of their own in the fifth to make it 4-1. Centenary drew four walks, stole two bases, and had two extra-base hits. The Ladies left eight on base, committed three errors, and struck out four times. The YellowJackets drew two walks, struck out twice, left four on base, and committed five costly errors.
Down 3-0, Lewis doubled in Cox for the Ladies' first run in the fourth and then staring down a 4-1 deficit and a potential doubleheader sweep with just three outs to work with, Centenary's offense went to work. Freshman SS Brooke Sandefur (Baton Rouge, La.), Patridge, and Cox all singled to load the bases with none out. Rivero then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the second run and make it 4-2.
Down to their final out with the bases loaded and trailing 4-2, Stout reached on an error scoring Cox and Patridge to tie the game. Dominguez then drew a walk to re-load the bases. Freshman 1B Kaitlyn Dickey (Church Point, La.) singled home the go-ahead run and Sandefur singled and advanced to second on another LeTourneau error that allowed two runs to score.
Patridge greeted a new LeTourneau pitcher with a two-run triple to make it 9-4. Cox walked and stole second and Rivero ripped a two-run single to make it 11-4. Lewis struck out to end the inning but the damage was done. Scarbrock retired the stunned YellowJackets easily in the seventh to seal the improbable win.
Patridge and Sandefur led the Ladies' offensive attack with three hits each while Cox had two. Dickey, Lewis, and Rivero each had one. Patridge went 3-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Cox was 2-3 with three runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base, and Sandefur finished 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Rivero was 1-3 with three RBI, a walk, and a run scored, and Dickey was 1-4 with an RBI and a run. Lewis finished 1-5 with her RBI double.
Cox made history last weekend in the series win over Schreiner as she set the division III era (2012-present) career record by stealing her 48th career base in game one of a DH on April 15 and now has 51 in her career. Payton LeBlanc, who played from 2017-19, held the previous mark with 47. Cox is seventh in the country in division III in stolen bases this season with 30 and is just two steals away from matching the D3 era (2012-present) single-season record held by LeBlanc in 2017.
The Celts are currently third in the conference standings while the Ladies are sixth. The top six teams at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the 2022 SCAC Championship April 29-May 1 in Irving, Texas.
Centenary is three games ahead of Austin College (3-15 SCAC) and four ahead of Dallas (2-16) and the Maroon and White need just one win this weekend to clinch a spot in next weekend's championship. The Ladies can also clinch if Austin College loses at least once to Dallas this weekend. Centenary is aiming for its sixth-consecutive berth into the conference championship.
See the Ladies' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2021-22/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
