KERRVILLE, Texas — The Southwestern University Pirates softball team opened the SCAC Championships with a 10-4 loss to the Centenary Ladies.
Southwestern pitchers Kinly McCaffrey and Paige Rassmusen struggled with the middle of Centenary's lineup, surrendering a combined six hits in eight at-bats with five RBIs and four runs scored to catcher Erin Lewis and second baseman Jaymee Wilkinson out of the fifth and sixth spots in the Ladies' lineup.
Centenary struck first in the top of the second inning, leading off with back-to-back singles from Lewis and Wilkinson. After a Cambry Bates pop out to second, Mallory Stout walked to load the bases. Lewis scored on a Britlyn Garret fielder's choice for the out at second. Wilkinson scored on a double steal with runners on the corners while Garret was thrown out trying to go to second.
Southwestern took a brief lead with a big, four-run third inning. McCaffrey reached on a one-out single, then scored on a Katelyn Francis RBI-double. Maddie Mefford followed with a single, putting runners in the corners, and Kathryn Dull cleared them both with a two-RBI double. After Sam Martinez picked up the second out of the inning, Dull scored on a Tori Montemayor RBI single for the 4-2 lead.
Wilkinson opened the top of the fourth inning with a leadoff single for Centenary, scoring on Bates' RBI double. After back-to-back outs, the Ladies added another run on an RBI single from Garrett to tie the game. A Lewis two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning gave Centenary the lead.
The Ladies put together a four-run sixth inning. Garrett opened with a double, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mackenzie Cox singled and advanced on an error, scoring Garrett. Mackenzie Clark followed with another single to put runners on first and third. After a pitch hit Kaylea Patridge to load the bases, Lewis hit an RBI single, then Wilkinson drove two more in on a single for the 10-4 lead.
Mefford hit 3-for-4 for the Pirates, scoring one run. Dull was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored. Francis had two hits with an RBI and run scored. McCaffrey, Montemayor, Kealie House, and Morgan Potter each had a hit for Southwestern.
McCaffrey went five innings in the pitcher's circle, giving up six runs on nine hits and three walks. Rassmusen pitched the final two innings, surrendering four runs on six hits with a walk.
Southwestern drops to 14-19 with the loss. The fourth-seeded Pirates will attempt to climb out of the single-loss portion of the bracket, facing the loser of the game between second-seeded Schreiner and third-seeded Trinity tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.