SHREVEPORT, La. – Texas Lutheran scored nine runs in the opening two innings as the Bulldogs cruised to its sixth-straight conference title game with a 10-2 victory over Southwestern in five innings Saturday afternoon at the SCAC Softball Championship. Official Website l Bracket l Postgame Interview

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Southwestern took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning courtesy of a Katie Bricarell RBI single, scoring Tori Montemayor.
• TLU responded immediately, scoring four runs in the home half of the inning, highlighted by a two RBI single from Madisyn Cates, scoring Kelly Jurden and Casey Martin. Cates would come around to score via a Skylar Ouellette RBI single.
• The Pirates scratched their second run across in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Montemayor to score Celeste Silvas.
• Once again, the Bulldogs responded, this time scoring five runs in the second as Cates would pick up her third RBI of the day and Jurden and Martin would each score for the second consecutive inning.
• Jurden and Martin combined for five the of Bulldogs 10 runs on the afternoon.
• Cates put the game away with her third hit and fourth RBI of the game in the bottom of the fifth. The junior finished with four RBI, two runs scored on 3-for-4 batting.

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Madisyn Cates: 3-4, 4 RBI, 2 Runs
• Kelly Jurden: 2-3, 3 Runs
• Casey Martin: 1-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI
• Skylar Ouellette: 2-3, 2 RBI
• Chassety Raines: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BB, CG

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Katie Bricarell: 2-3, 1 RBI
• Maddie Mefford: 2-2
• Nadia Netek: 3.1 IP, 5 Hits, 1 Run, 3 BB

NOTABLES

• Chassety Raines improved to a perfect 8-0 on the year after tossing a complete game, allow just four hits and one earned run. Raines also helped herself at the plate with a 1-for-2 performance, one run and one RBI.
• Texas Lutheran will play in the SCAC Softball championship final for the sixth consecutive year - tying the all-time SCAC consecutive tournament final appearances record. Trinity appeared in six straight finals from 2011 to 2016. 
• TLU is currently riding the longest streak of consecutive SCAC softball titles at five and will look to extend it to six tomorrow. 

UP NEXT
Texas Lutheran (29-7) advances to Sunday's championship final where they will need just one win to earn the program its sixth consecutive SCAC title. Southwestern (34-5) will play the winner of the Dallas/Centenary game at 8 p.m. this evening with the winner of that game advancing to play Texas Lutheran at 1 p.m. tomorrow.