The Bearkat softball team went to the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational this weekend looking for a win, and that is exactly what it got.
The Kats topped Texas Southern University 13-5 in the opening game of the tournament on Friday to score their first win of the season. Despite bad weather and some rain delay, the Bearkats found a way to produce and maintain the intensity they needed to walk away with the win.
Brittany Tuck had a two-run hit to get the scoring underway in the first inning. She finished the game perfect at the plate, hitting three for three. Erin Lindsey provided the shot to end the game in the sixth inning: a two-run homer to put the Bearkats up by eight. Lindsey also finished with a perfect four for four at the plate. Pitching for the win for the Kats was Melissa Hayslip.
For the second game of the day, SHSU faced the University of Houston. After trailing the Cougars 7-0 at the end of the first inning, the LadyKats tried to rally back and managed seven runs, but it wasn’t enough to get the win, and the Kats dropped their second game to U of H 11-7.
Erin Lindsey rocked a grand slam in the third inning to cut the Cougar lead to 7-4. However, SHSU needed a little more. Pitcher Rachel Atzenhoffer started off the game for the Bearkats, but was overpowered by the Cougars. Aydrien Guajardo finished up, allowing only four runs in the last five innings.
The second day of the tournament was a little rougher on the Kats. They dropped both games: one to Pittsburgh, and one to Northern Iowa.
On Sunday, the Bearkats faced the Lady Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin
University. Despite the SHSU attempt to take an early win from their rival
Southland Conference competitors, they dropped the final game of the tournament to the LadyJacks 5-4.
“We were a little bit down after this weekend because we expected to do better,” SHSU head coach Bob Brock said. “I can’t say that we’re disappointed because this team is still a little ways away from were it needs to be.”
Yesterday, the Bearkats tallied up two more wins against Prairie View A&M. The girls finished the first game of the doubleheader with a 6-0 shutout, and then dropped Prarie View again 4-1 in the second.
“It’s nice to be at home because we have had a really tough pre-season,” Brock said. “We seem to play pretty good at home and I’m happy with these two wins.”
Atzenhoffer and Hayslip pitched the first game, and Whitney Heath pitched the second.
This weekend the softball team will host a series against Stephen F. Austin at Bearkat Field. There will be a doubleheader on Saturday, with games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The team will finish out the weekend Sunday with the final game of the series at 1 p.m.