Posted: Feb 10, 2014
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Despite the chilly tempatures, five of the league's seven softball teams were in action as the 2014 campaign got underway. The three teams predicted to battle for SCAC supremacy in presason polling - Southwestern, Texas Lutheran and Trinity - each opened with weekend doubleheader splits.
AROUND THE SCAC
Austin College went 1-2 to open the season,
falling 9-7 to Pacific before splitting a doubleheader with Howard
Payne, falling 3-2 when an error in the bottom of the seventh led
to a walk off for HPU before bouncing back with an 8-0 win in game
two. Haley Clendennen had a big opening weekend, batting .545 with
two doubles, a home run, and eight runs batted in and Sophia and
Briana Hernandez each batted .500 and drove in two runs apiece.
Sophia Hernandez also went 1-1 on the mound, including pitching a
complete game shutout in the 8-0 win, while Victoria Herrera had a
strong collegiate debut in the 3-2 loss, going the distance and
only giving up two earned runs on four hits with six
strikeouts.
Centenary opened the Amanda Nordberg Era with a pair of losses to LeTourneau University over the weekend. Centenary totaled just four hits in the decisions with Whitney Patterson collecting two hits in the opener to lead the Ladies offensively. Nicole Warren added the lone
Centenary opened the Amanda Nordberg Era with a pair of losses to LeTourneau University over the weekend. Centenary totaled just four hits in the decisions with Whitney Patterson collecting two hits in the opener to lead the Ladies offensively. Nicole Warren added the lone
hit in the second contest with Laura Perilloux gathering her
first, collegiate hit to assist Patterson with the three-hit total
in the first affair. The Ladies sent a combined four hurlers into
the circle. Lynsi Unruh was saddled with the loss in the opener
while Perilloux collected the setback in the second contest. Emma
Viskozki and Patterson also saw time on the rubber. Centenary
returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 22 as the Ladies travel to
Millsaps for a doubleheader that starts at 12 p.m.
Dallas has not opened the 2014 season yet. They open things up on Friday, February 16th as they take on George Fox in doubleheader in Irving. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with the second game set to start at 3 p.m.
Schreiner has not opened the 2014 season yet. They open things up on Saturday, February 22nd as they travel to the Dot Richardson Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. They will open things up with a doubleheader against Northwood set to begin at 1 p.m. (EST).
Southwestern opened the season at home on Sunday, facing Pacific University. Southwestern fell behind early in both games as SU’s starting pitchers struggled, but in game one the Pirate bats were on fire as they won 15-10. Game two had the same start with Pacific jumping out to a huge lead early and Southwestern couldn’t replicate their game one magic and fell in five innings, 16-4. Southwestern heads to Hardin Simmons on Thursday before hosting George Fox on Saturday.
Texas Lutheran opened its season on a high note, splitting a road doubleheader against NCAA Division I-opponent Abilene Christian on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs dropped the first game 10-7 before rallying to take the second 4-3. Rally was exactly what the Bulldogs did in that second game, not only rallying from a game-one loss, but also rallying from three-runs down in the sixth inning to come away with an impressive win. All four of their runs came in that sixth inning. All four of those runs came off one game-changing swing of the bat from Ashley Jacobsen. After the four-run sixth, Amanda Lochteearned her first save of her collegiate career. The freshman shut down Abilene Christian in the final two innings, giving up just a single in each of the last two frames to close out the win. The Bulldogs found themselves down early in the first game as well, trailing 8-1 after two innings. The offense found some life though in a big way as the game went along, using the long ball to battle its way back into the game, but the comeback fell just short in a 10-7 loss. Grace Estes hammered two solo shots, while Taylor Yancey added a two-run blast of her own to bring the Bulldogs to within one at 8-7. Unfortunately, Abilene Christian would score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to build back the lead.
Trinity split a season-opening doubleheader against Our Lady of the Lake University on Sunday afternoon, winning 3-2 after dropping a narrow 6-4 decision (eight innings). The Tigers dropped their opening game of the season for the first time since the 2010 season, but avoided falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2009. Trinity swept two games from OLLU the last time the teams met in 2012. Coming up this week, Trinity will host UT-Tyler on Wednesday afternoon, then will be off until February 25. The Tigers return home March 8, facing Cal College St. Joseph in an afternoon doubleheader.
Dallas has not opened the 2014 season yet. They open things up on Friday, February 16th as they take on George Fox in doubleheader in Irving. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with the second game set to start at 3 p.m.
Schreiner has not opened the 2014 season yet. They open things up on Saturday, February 22nd as they travel to the Dot Richardson Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. They will open things up with a doubleheader against Northwood set to begin at 1 p.m. (EST).
Southwestern opened the season at home on Sunday, facing Pacific University. Southwestern fell behind early in both games as SU’s starting pitchers struggled, but in game one the Pirate bats were on fire as they won 15-10. Game two had the same start with Pacific jumping out to a huge lead early and Southwestern couldn’t replicate their game one magic and fell in five innings, 16-4. Southwestern heads to Hardin Simmons on Thursday before hosting George Fox on Saturday.
Texas Lutheran opened its season on a high note, splitting a road doubleheader against NCAA Division I-opponent Abilene Christian on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs dropped the first game 10-7 before rallying to take the second 4-3. Rally was exactly what the Bulldogs did in that second game, not only rallying from a game-one loss, but also rallying from three-runs down in the sixth inning to come away with an impressive win. All four of their runs came in that sixth inning. All four of those runs came off one game-changing swing of the bat from Ashley Jacobsen. After the four-run sixth, Amanda Lochteearned her first save of her collegiate career. The freshman shut down Abilene Christian in the final two innings, giving up just a single in each of the last two frames to close out the win. The Bulldogs found themselves down early in the first game as well, trailing 8-1 after two innings. The offense found some life though in a big way as the game went along, using the long ball to battle its way back into the game, but the comeback fell just short in a 10-7 loss. Grace Estes hammered two solo shots, while Taylor Yancey added a two-run blast of her own to bring the Bulldogs to within one at 8-7. Unfortunately, Abilene Christian would score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to build back the lead.
Trinity split a season-opening doubleheader against Our Lady of the Lake University on Sunday afternoon, winning 3-2 after dropping a narrow 6-4 decision (eight innings). The Tigers dropped their opening game of the season for the first time since the 2010 season, but avoided falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2009. Trinity swept two games from OLLU the last time the teams met in 2012. Coming up this week, Trinity will host UT-Tyler on Wednesday afternoon, then will be off until February 25. The Tigers return home March 8, facing Cal College St. Joseph in an afternoon doubleheader.
To view the entire SCAC Fast Pitch Weekly for week 1,
click here.