Feb. 14, 2009
After years of planning, preparation and hard work, Southwestern University hit the field for their first ever softball game on Saturday. In front of an expectant crowd of over 200 that braved the cool weather to see the inaugural game, the Pirates didn't disappoint, defeating the University of Dallas 5-1 and 6-3.
Southwestern 5, U of Dallas 1
The Pirates started the contest with Lyndsy Maus striking out the Crusaders lead off batter, Jessica Mollner. The University of Dallas was able to string together a couple of hard hit balls to push across the first run of the game. Southwestern put two runners on base in the bottom of the first. Bre Lewis earned the first Pirate walk on four straight balls and Katelyn Pavlicek recorded the first hit with a line drive single to left field.
In the bottom of the second, the Pirates loaded the bases after a pair of singles by Amanda Ambrose and Taylor Turpin, then Quincy Meeker reached on an error by third base. Ambrose scored the first run for the Pirates on a wild pitch. Kenna Dies hit a blooper to shallow centerfield that was dropped by the shortstop and allowed Turpin to score. After an overthrow to first base, Meeker scored the third run of the inning to put the Pirates up 3-1.
The Crusaders threatened in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs. A slow roller to Maus led to the first double play with a force out at home (Maus to Lewis) and then Bre Lewis threw to Kat Hoover at first base to put out Burns. A grounder to first base fielded by Hoover, who then stepped on first, ended the threat and the Pirates emerged unscathed.
Southwestern pushed one more run across in the bottom of the fourth and fifth. In the fourth, Quincy Meeker reached on an error and then stole second base (first Pirate stolen base). An RBI single by Katelyn Gola brought in Meeker for the first Pirate run batted in.
Gola led the Pirates going 2-3 with one RBI. Lewis, Ambrose, Pavlicek, and Turpin all were 1-3.
Maus was the winning pitcher for Southwestern. In seven innings she allowed four hits and one run (0 earned). She struck out five and walked one.
Southwestern 6, U of Dallas 3
In game two, Southwestern picked up where they left off by hitting three, two-out singles and pushed one run across on an RBI single by Pavlicek to centerfield that drove in Wallace.
In the third inning the Pirates scored again after Hoover tripled down the right field line and drove in Wallace who reached on a walk. Hoover then scored on the next pitch on a passed ball to push the Pirates lead to 3-0.
The Crusaders threatened in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but a grounder to Meeker at second ended the threat.
The University of Dallas was able to pull back even in the top of the sixth inning, 3-3, stringing together three singles mixed in with some Pirate errors. Southwestern responded by posting three runs in the bottom half of the inning on some well executed bunts and aggressive base running to go up 6-3.
The Pirates were led by Kat Hoover who was 2-3 with one RBI and 2 runs in the game. Wallace went 1-2 and scored twice.
The winning pitcher was Lyndsy Maus who came in relief for starting pitcher Kaitlyn Pavlicek.
The Pirates start the season 2-0. Their next game is a double header at Hardin-Simmons on February 20th at 1:00.