BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University’ softball team traveled to Austin to meet up with the ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns on Wednesday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field. While the Cardinals did manage to battle hard against the Longhorns, the eyes of Texas were not too kind to LU as Big Red couldn’t overcome an early deficit falling 8-2.
The Cardinals left eight baserunners on this night and recorded five hits, with two coming from Audry Fleming. Sam Bean would knock her first homer of season for LU’s only RBI. Aaliyah Ruiz only lasted 2.1 innings allowing four runs on three hits while Fadwa Ben Karim pitched the final 3.2 innings striking out one batter and giving up the other four.
The Cardinals threatened early in the top of the first inning, but left two runners stranded. The Longhorns would capitalize in the bottom half with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame. But LU would not be held scoreless as in the top of the third, Bean recorded the first Cardinal homer of the season to trail 2-1.
UT tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third to lead 4-1. In the next inning, LU started the top of the fourth with a Fleming single and a Ramirez double, but only settled for a run as Fleming scored on a wild pitch. Ultimately, the Longhorns would scratch two runs in the fourth and six innings to put the game away 8-2.
LU now heads to San Marcos to begin their I-35 tournament appearance starting tomorrow as LU takes on Texas State at 6:00 p.m.