AUSTIN, Texas – The Southwestern University Pirates softball team took both games in a doubleheader against the Huston-Tillotson Rams.
Game 1 – Southwestern 4, Huston-Tillotson 3
After being shutout for most of the game, the Pirates strung together five clutch hits in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs to take the game.
Starting pitcher Lindsey Longuet kept the Pirates in the game long enough for the Southwestern bats to wake up late, going the distance by pitching all seven innings with five strikeouts, limiting the Rams to just two hits with three walks and two earned runs.
The Rams struck first, getting two runs in the bottom of the first with two Huston-Tillotson player reaching on walks and Amanda Aguilera knocking both in with a two-RBI double to deep left-center.
Southwestern University's offense was held in check through the first four innings with only two hits. The Pirates finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning, putting two on with a Tori Montemayor walk and Jordan Farber. Kylie Nixon stepped in to pinch hit with two outs, hitting a RBI-single down the left field line to score Montemayor.
Huston-Tillotson responded with a two-out run on an error, taking a 3-1 in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Pirates got back-to-back singles with Farber and Andrea Hern to put two on with one out. After a Nixon strikeout, the Pirates delivered three consecutive clutch hits. Celeste Silvas singled to shallow left, scoring Farber. Then Kaitlynn Copher hit a RBI-single to shallow right, scoring Hern, followed by Katie Bricarell's RBI-double to deep right-center to take the 4-3 lead.
Longuet then retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, inducing three groundouts and a pop out to first to win the game. Copher and Bricarell were each 2-for-4 with a RBI. Farber was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Game 2 – Southwestern 9, Huston-Tillotson 6
In the top of the first, Jordan Farber led off with a walk, stealing second and scoring on an error that put Kaitlynn Copher on. Katie Bricarell followed with a two-run home run over the left field fence.
Huston-Tillotson responed in the bottom of the third, scoring on a walk and an error to cut the Pirates' lead to 3-1.
In the top of the fifth, Andrea Hern laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, scoring Sydney Scott to give the Pirates a 4-1 lead. The Rams broke through in the bottom of the inning, putting two on with one out on two walks and scoring on a wild throw. A walk later, Sara Rodriguez hit a two-RBI double to deep center to tie the game at 4-4. The Rams took the lead in the sixth inning on an error.
Southwestern tied the game in the top of the seventh on a Katelyn Francis RBI single to shallow left to send the game into extra innings.
Both teams scored in the eighth inning and were scoreless in the ninth, setting up an international tiebreaker with each team starting the 10th with a runner on second. Andrea Hern opened the inning with a RBI single and the Pirates put two more on an error in the outfield. Lexi Shafer struck out two to end the game for the Pirates.
In Game 2, Silvas went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Bricarell was 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored. Bailey Meyer pitched 4.1 innings, giving up two hits and four runs with two earned and five walks. Nadia Netek pitched 3.2 innings, giving up two hits and two runs with three walks. Shafer pitched two innings, picking up the win.
Southwestern is now 14-4 on the season and will host Concordia Texas for a doubleheader on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.