SHERMAN, Texas — Kinly McCaffrey pitched an absolute gem for the Southwestern University Pirates softball team, earning her second win of the season in a 2-1 victory over the Austin College Kangaroos. 

The junior right-hander from Santa Monica, California, was dominant in the pitcher's circle, throwing a career-high nine strikeouts while surrendering just three hits, three walks, and one run in her third complete game of the season. 

McCaffrey was all the difference in a game where runs were sparse. Southwestern had little success against Austin College pitcher Karsen Lampkin, who held the Pirates to just four hits through seven innings. The Pirates were able to take advantage of back-to-back throwing errors in the top of the first inning to score Katelyn Francis and take a 1-0 lead. 

That was enough for McCaffrey, who retired nine of the first 10 hitters she faced, closing the second inning with two strikeouts and opening the third with two. Austin College did all of its damage on a single swing in the bottom of the fourth. Elizabeth Preston hit a two-out single to center field, advancing to second on an error and scoring on an errant throw to tie the game. 

Southwestern's bats finally came to life in the top of the fifth inning, getting a one-out single to left-center from Kealie House followed by a double to left from Tori Montemayor. With runners on the corners and one out, head coach Emerald Doria turned to Kaylee White to pinch-hit for Rylee Rudloff. White came through in the clutch, lifting a ball out to left field to score House for the go-ahead run on the sacrifice fly. 

McCaffrey shut Austin College down in the bottom of the inning, striking out the first two hitters and retiring the side in order. She surrendered a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning but fielded a grounder hit by the ensuing hitter to get out of the inning. 

Austin College threatened in the bottom of the seventh, leading the inning off with a Preston double to left field. Two outs later, McCaffrey walked Lampkin while Preston stole third to put runners in the corners. McCaffrey closed the game by inducing a grounder for the 4-6 fielder's choice. 

Southwestern improves to 12-18 with the win, including a 9-10 conference record. Austin College drops to 2-21 and 1-17 in conference play after Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader.