LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Six of the seven SCAC softball teams were able to return to the field after a crazy weather weekend. Though there was still weather in the forecast, conference play was able to get started as Schreiner opened the conference season with a 3-1 record.
Austin College
The 'Roos did not play this past weekend due to inclement weather as their conference matchup against Texas Lutheran was rescheduled. Austin College will now travel to Texas Lutheran to battle the Bulldogs on Tuesday and Wednesday and follow that up with a four game series against Trinity on Friday and Saturday.
Centenary College
The Ladies dropped three out of four to Schreiner this past weekend to open up conference play. They dropped the first two games on day one, 10-2 and 7-6, before splitting day two with a 10-8 win and an 11-6 loss. In the first game, Cadie Hancock was terrific, going 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored. In the second game, Hancock went 3-for-4 in the outing with her lone RBI while Anna Dunn was 3-for-4 at the dish and Carissa Herndon going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Haley Miller took the loss in the circle with 6.1 innings pitched and allowing seven runs – six earned – with a strikeout and walk. The following day, Morgan Daigle, Michelle Tasin, Melanie Wilson, Brittnie Mathis and Laura Perilloux each posted .500 clips at the dish on the day. Hancock led the Ladies with five RBI in the double-dip. After trailing 3-1 though the first three frames of the opener, Centenary rattled off five runs in fourth to take a 6-3 lead. Hancock guided the scoring in the inning with a 3-RBI, double and later scoring on a Herndon RBI double to cap the inning. Daigle finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Melanie Wilson logged the win in the circle with 2.0 innings in relief. Wilson surrendered two runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout. The Mountaineers could not earn the split though, dropping the final game, 11-6. The Ladies move to 4-4 on the season and 1-3 in SCAC play. They are back at it on Wednesday as they take on Jarvis Christian and will then continue confernece play with a four game series against Dallas.
University of Dallas
The Crusaders went 1-1 this past weekend, splitting a conference matchup with Trinity before the final two games were called on Sunday due to weather. In a 7-2 win in the first game, Dallas was led by Ashley Pickert, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Taylor Garcia added a RBI and she smashed a homer to tie the career record for homeruns in a career at Dallas. Katie Lee earned the win, pitching a complete game and allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out three. Despite the Crusaders outhitting Trinity, 7-6, in game two, Dallas could not capitalize as they fell 5-2. Garcia led the way, going 2-for-4 with a RBI. The two teams were set to square off in a doubleheader on Sunday, but that game was called due to pouring rain. There will be no make up date. The Crusaders will enjoy Spring Break as they head to Myrtle Beach, SC as they take on SUNY Canton, Principia, Albertus Magnus, and Cazenovia College. They will then return home for a conference series against Centenary.
Schreiner University
The Mountaineers were finally able to open up their series, dropping a pair of contests to Calumet, 8-0 and 6-1, but then responding by taking three out of four over Centenary. In the first game, a 10-2 (6) win, Lorena Espinoza went all six innings, scattering six hits, giving up one earned run and striking out four in the victory, her first of her career.. The Mountaineers pounded out 14 hits led by Holly Molenaar, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Sydney Christopher added a double and a pair of RBIs while Sam Hernandez, Samantha Cordon, and Sarah Worrell each had two hits. In game two, Schreiner scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to come-from-behind and earn a 7-6 win. Christopher led the way, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Dominique Sandoval added a pair of RBIs while Hernandez, Molenaar, Cordon, and Reanna Garces all had two hits. Garces came through with the game winnings hit. The following day, Christopher and Nichole Schoenherr combined for 15 hits and Schreiner won the series, spltting with a 10-8 loss and a 11-6 win. Christopher was 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the loss while Schoenherr was 3-for-5 win a RBI. The duo would come away with four hits each in the second game as Christopher drove in four runs while Schoenherr, as well as Molenaar, each drove in two. Christopher was unbelievable, finishing the weekend 11-for-18 with six doubles and 11 runs driven in. The Mountaineers move to 3-3 overall and 3-1 in the SCAC. They will return to the diamond this weekend as they travel to Georgetown, Texas to take on Southwestern.
Southwestern University
The Pirates went 2-2 over the weekend, dropping a pair to Calumet, 7-3 and 9-1, before bouncing back and defeating Baldwin Wallace in Arizona, 8-3 and 6-3. Against Calumet, the Pirates attempted to make a comeback in the seventh inning as Marisa Irvin started off the inning with a single up the middle and Jordan Kunz followed with an infield single. Michele Ramos' double plated both runners and Ramos was scored on Ashleigh Scott's single. However it was not enough as the Pirates fell. They could not get anything going in the second game, as five errors resulted in a 9-1 loss. However, the Pirates responded with a pair of wins on Sunday. Cozette Palmer threw the complete game win, allowing three runs on ten hits while walking frou and striking out five. Taylor Curts went 3-3 from the plate with two runs scored and Caroline Young had a huge game one, going 3-4 with two RBI's and three runs scored. Southwestern picked up where they left off in game two, posting two runs in the first and one in the second. Baldwin Wallace closed the gap with two runs in the fourth, but Southwestern got one back in the fifth on a triple from Sydney Oorlog, driving in Stacy Rosengren. Palmer earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. Alyssa Novander had a strong showing in relief, going four innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out three and walking one. The Pirates move to 3-9 on the season and will continue their play in Tucson, Ariz., taking on Alfred and Cedar Crest on Monday. They will then return home for conference play as they battle Schreiner this upcoming weekend.
Texas Lutheran University
The Bulldogs took three out of four from Calumet this past weekend. They would drop the first game 3-2, but come back to win the next three, 3-1, 6-2, and 3-0. After dropping the first contest, Taylor Grissom, TLU's junior right-hander from Spring, improved to 2-0 with the win in game two. Grissom went 5.1 innings and scattered six hits. Samantha Yenne and Amanda Lochte each pitched in relief as Lochte earned a save. She struck out one and walked one. Ashley Jacobsen, Nicole Snow, and Jennifer Gallagher each produced RBI for the Bulldogs in the win. The two teams met again five days later as TLU swept the day to win the series. Grissom went the distance in game one, striking out one, walking one, and scattering five hits. The two runs against her scored as a result of an error. Grissom, last year's SCAC Pitcher of the Year, improved to 3-0. She has won all three of her starts in 2015. Grissom lowered her season ERA to 0.40. Jacobson, Snow, and Jennifer Gallagher all belted RBIs doubles in succession to give the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead. Veny Pizana and Samantha Yenne combined on a four-hit shutout in game two. Pizana (3-2) started the game and went four innings to pick up her third win of the season. She allowed just three hits, walked two and struck out one. Jacquelyn Brown went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Kristen Whiteside scored twice with a pair of hits. The Bulldogs move to 6-4 on the season and have a busy week ahead of them as they will make up this weekend's rained out series with Austin College on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Trinity University
The Tigers went 1-3 this past weekend, suffering a pair of losses to Calumet before splitting with Dallas to open SCAC play. The Tigers could not get much going against the Crimson Wave, falling 12-1 (5) and 7-4. Hilary Hoffman batted 2-3 in the second game of the day. Against Dallas, Lauren Mercado did hit the team's first home run of the season in the sixth, cutting the lead to 5-2, and moving into second place on Trinity's career list for round-trippers; however, it was not enough as Dallas earned a 7-2 win. In game two, Trinity broke open the scoring with a three-run second. The Tigers then added two more in the third to pull ahead 5-1 early in the contest. Katie Glomb was effective both in the circle and at the plate in the day's finale. She pitched a full seven innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits, walking two, and punching out five Dallas batters to improve to 2-0 on the year. She also went 2-3 with a run scored at the plate to lead the Tiger offense. The final two games between the two teams was called due to weather. The Tigers are now 2-4 on the season and have a tough test coming up next. Trinity will face No. 3 East Texas Baptist on Tuesday followed by No. 9 Texas-Tyler on Wednesday, both teams nationally ranked and undefeated on the season. The Tigers will then take on Austin College in conference play this upcoming weekend.
