GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Southwestern University Pirates softball team swept the Trinity University Tigers, triggering the mercy rule with a 9-0 victory in five innings.
After starting pitchers Lindsey Longuet and Bailey Meyer dominated in Friday's doubleheader with two shutout, complete-game victories, the Pirates' offense came to life and Longuet picked up where she left off, shutting down the Tigers' offense.
The Tigers entered the week with the second-best team batting average (.344) in the SCAC but were shut down by Longuet, who carried a perfect game into the fifth inning of a one-hit shutout in Game 1 and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning on Sunday, holding Trinity to a combined 2-for-37 (.054) in both starts.
Longuet wasn't as dominant as she was Friday, walking two, hitting two, and striking out only two after allowing just one runner on Friday, but proved just as unhittable, holding the Tigers to just one double by Marisa Trevino in the top of the fourth.
She also didn't have to be.
The Pirates provided plenty of run support, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first with Kaitlynn Copher hitting a two-run blast, scoring Sydney Scott, who reached on an error. Later in the inning, Tori Montemayor hit a RBI-single, finding the gap through the right side of the infield to score Maddie Mefford, who reached on an infield single.
Katie Bricarell added another run in the bottom of the second with a bases-loaded infield single, scoring Andrea Hern, who reached with a leadoff single to center field.
The Pirates' offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of three hits and one error. Montemayor started the inning with a leadoff single through the right side of the defense and was moved to second by Jordan Farber on a sacrifice bunt. Hern walked and Scott singled up the middle, loading the base for Celeste Silvas, who reached on a fielder's choice with one RBI and a second run scored on a throwing error.
Bricarell cleared the bases with a three-run home run—her sixth of the season—to give the Pirates the 9-0 lead.
With the victory, Longuet becomes the first pitcher to hit double-digit victories in the conference at 10-1, leading the SCAC with 68 strikeouts this season. Bricarell hit 2-for-2 with the home run and four RBI, taking sole possession of the SCAC lead in home runs and RBI with six and 28.
The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to rain delays and time constraints. With the 3-0 sweep of the Tigers, the Pirates improved to 25-4 on the season, surpassing last season's overall win total of 23 with 10 games remaining. Southwestern is now 12-3 in conference play.
Southwestern will take a break from SCAC play to face the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at home on Tuesday, April 9 and resume conference play with a four-game road series against Austin College on Saturday and Sunday.