Lafayette, La. - Catcher Sarah Allison walked with the bases loaded to score the winning run in the sixth inning as Sam Houston defeated Rhode Island 5-4 in the Kats' second game at the University of Louisiana Classic Saturday morning.
Then, Saturday night, first baseman Kim Damian and catcher Sarah Allison each hit home runs to lead the Bearkats to a 9-6 victory over Arkansas in extra innings.
Combined with a 6-5 extra inning loss to the Razorbacks in SHSU's first game of the tournament Friday night, Sam Houston now stands 2-1 for the young 2011 season.
Saturday morning, third baseman Shelbi Tucker, Kim Damian and designated player Taylor Gray each posted RBIs. Tomi Garrison picked up the victory in the circle in relief. Courtney Schoenemann started, giving up seven hits and four runs in three and two thirds innings. Garrison held Rhode Island scoreless the rest of the way, striking out three batters.
Shortstop Hailey Wiginton, second baseman Alyssa Coggins, right fielder Alex Survant and Gray each had two hits for the Kats. Gray hit a solo home run in the second inning. Survant and Calli Wood each hit doubles.
Tucker went 3-for-3 and Gray 2-for-3 in the nightcap win over Arkansas. Sam Houston totaled 13 runs. Kim Damian's three-run walk-off home run provided the game-winning blow in extra innings.
Garrison again was the game winner in the circle, pitching the final two and two thirds innings while striking out three. Shelby Lancaster started and Cecilia Castillo also threw in relief.
Sam Houston State was two outs away from a win over Arkansas in its 2011 softball opener Friday night.
But Razorback second baseman Courtney Breault spoiled the party with a game-tying solo homer in the bottom of the seventh and a walk-off game winning single in the second extra inning as the Kats fell to the Razorbacks in a 6-5 thriller.
Sam Houston jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Arkansas ever took a swing. Coggins started the big first inning for the Bearkats with a one-out single. Damian doubled to score Coggins.
Allison reached first on an error before right fielder Erin Burford scored Damian with an RBI ground out. Tucker brought in Allison with an RBI double and later scored on an illegal pitch as Sam Houston ended their turn in the first inning with four runs on three hits and two errors.
Left fielder Calli Wood accounted for the fifth Sam Houston run with an RBI single in the fifth inning after Allison singled and moved to third on consecutive walks by Burford and Tucker.
The Hogs picked up a run in both the bottom of the first and fifth innings. A two-run homer by Jennifer Rambo in the sixth pulled Arkansas within a run. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Courtney Breault forced extra innings with a solo home run.
Breault singled to left field with no outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth
Garrison was the starting pitcher for Sam Houston, spreading eight hits over six innings while striking out four batters and walking four. Courtney Schoenemann took the loss in relief.
