Las Cruces, N.M. - Senior shortstop Hailey Wigington went 3-for-4 and freshman designated player Tayler Gray was 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead a Sam Houston softball team that totaled 12 hits in the team's final game Sunday at the New Mexico State Invitational.
But Louisiana-Monroe took advantage of two Bearkat errors to score four unearned runs and win 5-4 in extra innings. Sam Houston lost all five games in the tournament to drop to 5-8 for the year. Louisiana-Monroe now stands 7-4.
Wigington, who went 9-for-16 at the plate for a .563 batting average during the tournament, started a two-run first inning for Sam Houston Sunday with a single. Freshman second baseman Alyssa Coggins reached on an error by the third baseman.
Gray doubled to center field to score both Wiginton and Coggins. Gray ended the weekend with eight RBIs in the five games. Another freshman, catcher Sarah Allison, led the team with 10 RBIs in the event.
The War Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the second, one on a home run and two unearned runs.
In the top of the fourth, Wiginton led off with a double and Kim Damian singled. Gray brought in another two runs with a single to put Sam Houston up 4-3.
Louisiana-Monroe tied the game with another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. In the first extra inning, tournament rules called for the international tiebreaker to go into effect.
Starting the inning with Melissa Rivera on second base, the War Hawks sacrificed her to third. Rivera then scored on a bunt single by Katie Girardi to end the game.
Tomi Garrison was the losing pitcher for Sam Houston, allowing only six hits in seven and one-third innings. Four of Louisiana-Monroe's five runs were unearned. Garrison struck out six batters.
The Bearkats next action is a home doubleheader Wednesday at 4 p.m. against the University of Houston.
Tickets for all Sam Houston home athletic events are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
