SHREVEPORT, La. – The Southwestern University Pirates softball team was shutout in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championship game, losing to Texas Lutheran University (TLU) Bulldogs 5-0.
Texas Lutheran took advantage of rare early control issues from starting pitcher Lindsey Longuet, who loaded the bases by hitting two batters and walking another before walking Chassety Raines to give TLU the first run of the game in the bottom of the first.
On offense, Southwestern was shut down through the first four innings, going hitless with only two reaching via walks. Kaitlynn Copher broke up TLU pitcher Kayla Oliveira's no-hitter in the top of the fourth, leading the inning off with a single down the left-field line and advancing to second on a throwing error. After back-to-back Southwestern pop outs, Copher advanced to third on a passed ball but was left stranded with a fly out to right center.
Control issues plagued Longuet against in the bottom of the fifth as the Bulldogs broke the game open with a three-run inning.
Kelly Jurden got the Bulldogs going with a one-out infield single. After Casey Martin flied out to left field, Longuet walked Cassie Roche and Madisyn Cates to load the bases, then hit Kassie Maddox to score Jurden. Raines followed with a two-RBI double to left field to give TLU a 4-0 lead.
Southwestern threatened in the top of the sixth with Tori Montemayor reaching on a fielding error and Jordan Farber hitting a single up the middle to put two on.
Kylie Nixon reached on a fielder's choice with Roche, the TLU shortstop, opting to throw out Montemayor at third. Mefford popped out to shortstop and Katelyn Francis hit a grounder to second base to end the inning.
The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth off Martin's RBI-single through the right side to give TLU its 5-0 lead. Nadia Netek, pinch-hitting for Izzy Richey, hit single to left field, ending Oliveira's afternoon in the pitcher's circle with Maddox taking over to end the game with two consecutive outs.
Longuet pitched all six innings, giving up five hits, five runs, and five walks. Oliveira, her counterpart, pitched 6.1 shutout innings, giving up four hits with just two walks and four strikeouts.
Copher hit 2-for-3 for the Pirates and Farber and Netek each had a hit. With the loss, the Pirates drop to 30-7 and TLU improves to 35-6 to win the SCAC Championship.