BEAUMONT, Texas — The Lamar University softball team made their long awaited home opener after spending almost a month on the road.
In two games against Southeastern Louisiana, the Cardinals were able to provide their fans with scoring rallies as well as a home run. But yet, the offense couldn’t match the Lions, who swept both games to put LU at 2-3 in Southland Conference play.
The Cardinals took the early lead in the first game only for the Lions to respond with a 6-2 victory. Sam Bean went three-of-four for the contest while Felixia Hinojosa recorded two hits.
Cameron Niedenthal drilled her second home run of the season, but she would be on the losing end as the starting pitcher despite striking out five batters.
In game two, the Cardinals rallied from 3-0 down to lead 5-3. But once again, the Lions responded as they outscored LU 11-2 for a 14-7 final.
Bean and Kaylee Ancelot each went two-of-four with the latter driving in four RBI while Brooke Davis added an RBI as well. Karyana Mitchell (3.0 IP, four runs, two strikeouts) started the game. Yet, it was Aaliyah Ruiz, who went one-third of an inning allowing three runs that was tagged with the loss.
Game 1: SLU 6, LU 2
After Niedenthal started the game with three scoreless innings, Davis would help spark the early run in the bottom of the third inning. She singled, stole second, and then came around to score as Kalyn Xayaseng reached on an error.
But with two outs in the top of the fourth, the Lions answered with three runs for a 3-1 lead. A fourth run would come in the top of the sixth inning.
Determined to make up for the runs allowed, Niedenthal led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to cut the lead to 4-2. That home run would not faze SLU, who broke the game open with two runs in the seventh to seal the 6-2 win.
Game 2: SLU 14, LU 7
The Lions started things with three runs in the first two innings. In the third inning, the Cardinals would benefit from two Lion errors as they began by loading the bases when Ancelot cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to tie the game.
Following one of the SLU errors scoring Mitchell off the bat of Hinojosa, Davis would make it 5-3 LU when she singled in the starting catcher.
But in the next half-inning, SLU would respond with their own five-run inning to lead 8-5. After scratching a run in the top of the sixth, the Lions had to hold off a potential rally by Big Red in the bottom of the sixth, which they did keeping LU in scoring position.
Five more runs in the seventh made it 14-5 and all the Cardinals could do was bring the final margin to 14-7 on a single by Ancelot and a wild pitch that scored Kailee Amos.
The Cardinals will try to avoid being swept tomorrow at 12:00 p.m., for the series finale.