Catcher Sarah Allison's RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Sam Houston a 1-0 extra inning softball victory over Northwestern State Sunday afternoon at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
Allison's bases loaded, two-out single gave the Kats a Southland series victory as the two teams split a Saturday doubleheader.
Center fielder Tayler Gray made the key defensive play for Sam Houston to preserve the victory in the first extra inning. With a runner on first base and two outs, Demon designated hitter Kyle Roos's blast hit the top of the center field fence. But the ball bounced back in play into Gray's glove who whirled and threw base runner Tara McKinney out at home.
Freshman Cecilia Castillo and junior Tomi Garrison combined for the shutout, the Kats' second in two days. Castillo gave up only five hits in eight innings, striking out six. Garrison (11-11) got the victory in two innings of relief work.
"Cecilia has been working so hard. I told her this morning that she was going to be the starter and she responded with eight scoreless innings," Sam Houston head coach Bob Brock. "Tomi pitched two great games yesterday and was ready to come back today. I could be prouder of the way this whole team fought."
Sam Houston (14-22, SLC 6-8) totaled eight hits with left fielder Tori Benavidez going 3-for-5. Northwestern State (19-14, SLC 5-7) had five hits and made two errors.
Both teams had the bases loaded and came away with no runs from the inning. The Demons had three on with one out in the top of the fourth but Castillo struck out both center fielder Ashlee England and right fielder Blair Beard.
Sam Houston also had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but right fielder Alex Survant popped up to the catcher and center fielder Tayler Gray hit a deep fly by to left field that was caught for the third out.
Next action for the Bearkat softball team will be a three-game Southland Conference series Friday and Saturday, April 9-10, in Lake Charles, La., against McNeese State.
Sam Houston returns to the Bearkat Softball Complex for a non-conference game with nationally-ranked Texas A&M Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for all Sam Houston home athletic events are on sale now online 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.
