Brownwood, Texas- The Centenary softball team split a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, falling 6-1 in game one and rebounding with a 7-6 win in game two at Lady Jacket Park.
The Ladies (8-19) will return to Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play this weekend against the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. Howard Payne improved to 5-16 with the DH split.
Game one recap: Howard Payne 6 Centenary 1
Sophomore P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.) started in the circle for the Ladies and suffered the loss to fall to 4-8 on the season. She went 4.1 innings and allowed four runs, all earned, and eight hits with a walk and no strikeouts. She faced 22 batters, hitting one, and threw 40 pitches (30 strikes).
The game was scoreless through the first three innings until the Lady Jackets scored a run in the bottom of the fourth as Mariah Gaytan knocked in 3B Elaine Gonzalez, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Howard Payne then scored five times in the fifth to extend its lead to 6-0.
CF Madison Forrester reached on a bunt single to begin the inning and scored on an RBI single by 1B Simonne Sanders. C Makayla Wesley then singled to move runners to first and second and freshman Emma Crow (Krotz Springs, La.) came in for Scarbrock.
Gonzalez singled to load the bases and SS McKeanne Saenz drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and a second run scored on a throwing error by freshman 2B Catherine Stokes (Natchitoches, La.) to make it 4-0. Gaytan then drove in Gonzalez with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Ashley Blaylock singled and Gaytan scored on a throwing error by freshman RF Sophie Vidrine (Eunice, La.).
The Ladies avoided the shutout as they scored a run in the top of the seventh. Freshman Jaeden Thrasher (Forney, Texas) reached on a throwing error and junior Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.) scored. Freshman Abigail Hodgson (Georgetown, Texas) singled to start the inning and Dominguez pinch ran for her. She then moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a groundout by sophomore DP Kaitlyn Dickey (Church Point, La.).
Crow went 1.2 innings, facing 10 batters, and allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits with two walks and no K's. Sydney West (2-3) started and went the distance for Howard Payne as she allowed just one unearned run and six hits in her seven innings of work with two walk and no K's. She faced 28 batters and threw 34 pitches (22 strikes).
The Ladies finished with six hits, two errors, two walks, no strikeouts, and left six on base. Lady Jackets had 12 hits, committed three errors, walked three times, also did not strike out, and left eight on. Dickey and sophomore 3B Viviana Rivero (Redondo Beach, Calif.) each had two hits, and the Ladies got one each from Hodgson and senior LF Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.). Four Howard Payne players collected two+ hits each led by three from Gonzalez.
Game two recap: Centenary 7 Howard Payne 6
Rivero highlighted the win as she hit for the cycle and went 5-5 with four RBI. She tripled in the second, had an RBI single in the third, hit a solo home run in the fifth, had a two-RBI double in the sixth, and singled in the seventh. She is the second player to do so this season after Patridge accomplished the feat on Feb. 18 against Westminster (Mo.).
Freshman P Alexis Roach (Pineville, La.) got the win in the circle for the Ladies to improve to 2-3 as she pitched a complete game, her third of the season. She allowed six runs, five earned, and nine hits in her seven innings with for walks and one K.
The Ladies took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the third inning. Stokes drove in Patridge with an RBI single, Rivero singled home sophomore SS Brooke Sandefur (Baton Rouge, La.), and senior CF Mallory Stout (Trinity, Texas) capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to score Stokes.
Lady Jackets scored one in the bottom half of the third as RF Alexia Perkkio reached on an error which allowed a run to score. Centenary added to its lead with two more runs in the top of the fifth. Rivero belted a one-out homer and sophomore 3B Alyssa Akers (Maurice, La.) drove home Stout with an RBI single. Howard Payne scored twice in its half of the fifth to make it 5-3.
The Ladies answered right back with two more runs in the top of the sixth on Rivero's two-run double that scored Stokes and Sandefur for a 7-3 lead. Blaylock's RBI single in the sixth got the Lady Jackets to within 7-4 but they left two on base. Centenary had a chance to increase its lead in the top of the seventh, but Sandefur was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice groundout and Stout flew out to leave the bases loaded.
Roach allowed a two-out, two-RBI double to Saenz in the bottom of the seventh, but she retired Gaytan on a groundout to end the game with the potential tying run at second base.
Howard Payne starter Heather Wineman (0-3) was the loser as she allowed four runs, all earned, and 10 hits in 4.1 innings with no walks and no strikeouts. She was replaced by Maddison Cason who came in after Rivero's home run in the fifth. She allowed Akers' RBI single but got the final two outs of the inning. She was charged with three runs, two earned, and three hits with a pair of walks in her 0.2 innings of work. Bree Cason worked the final two innings and allowed two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
The Ladies finished with 15 hits, marking the eighth time this season that they have recorded 10+ hits in a game and are the second-most in a game this season behind only the 21 against Westminster (Mo.) on Feb. 18. Centenary drew three walks, only struck out one time, made one error, and left 14 on base. Howard Payne finished with nine hits, drew four walks, struck out once, made three errors, and left seven on base.
Stokes finished 2-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, Patridge was 1-5 with a run scored, Sandefur was 1-3 with two runs scored, and Dominguez went 2-3 with a walk. Akers was 1-4 with an RBI and Vidrine, Dickey, and Stout each had one hit.
The Ladies' three-game weekend series at Dallas begins on Friday with a single game at 5 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. Dallas (5-18, 0-9 SCAC) has lost eight games in a row and is 5-13 at home this season.
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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