GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Southwestern University Pirates softball team celebrated senior day by sweeping the University of Dallas Crusaders, winning the final game of its seniors' careers 14-6.
After getting shutout through the first three games of the series, Dallas plated its first run in the top of the first, scoring Liz Cordova, who reached on a walk, on a dropped fly ball hit by Blyss Johnson with two outs.
Southwestern responded with three runs in bottom off the inning. The Pirates' first two hitters grounded out but Kaitlynn Copher reached on a double through the left side and Katie Bricarell reached on an error, scoring Copher.
Maddie Mefford took advantage of the situation, singling through the left side and Katelyn Francis singled up the middle, scoring Bricarell. Kylie Nixon singled through the left side, scoring Mefford to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead.
Dallas retook the lead in the top of the second with Katelyn Lazarek leading off with a single up the middle. The Crusaders followed with back-to-back bunts for singles, taking advantage of indecisiveness from the Pirate defense to load the bases.
Southwestern dropped a fly ball in the outfield, scoring Lazarek and Tera Espinosa. Julie Duenas added another run on a groundout to second base, scoring Brianna Hale to take a brief 4-3 lead.
The Pirates broke the game open in the bottom of the second with Copher hitting a three-run home run with one out, scoring Tori Montemayor and Jordan Farber, who each singled to left field. Bricarell followed with a double to right field and Katelyn Francis knocked her in with a two-out, two-run home run for the 8-4 lead.
Both teams went scoreless over the next three innings with Dallas breaking the lull in the top of the sixth, getting a two-RBI double from Duenas, scoring Torres and Stevenson, who each singled to centerfield.
Andrea Hern opened the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single and Montemayor walked to put the first two Pirates on base. After Farber popped up to the catcher, Copher drew a walk to load the bases. Bricarell went down swinging but Dallas walked the next three hitters, scoring three runs.
Nadia Netek singled through the right side, scoring Francis and Mefford and Hern hit a walk-off single through the left side, scoring Nixon to trigger the mercy rule.
With the win, the Pirates finished the regular season 33-4 with an 18-3 conference record, finishing second in the SCAC. The Pirates will enter the SCAC Tournament with the second seed, playing on Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m.