Centerfielder Tori Benavidez celebrated “Senior Day” with a walk-off RBI single to give Sam Houston a 4-3 extra-inning victory over first place McNeese State and a Southland softball series victory over the Cowgirls.
The Bearkats bounced back after being run-ruled 10-0 in the series opener Saturday to win 9-3 in the doubleheader nightcap and 4-3 in eight innings Sunday.
Sam Houston now stands 31-20 for the year and 16-8 in Southland Conference action. The Cowgirls dropped to 36-13 and 17-5.
All four seniors playing in their final games as Bearkats at the SHSU Softball Complex picked up hits. Benavidez went 4-for-5 while Kim Damian, Ashley Isbell and Shelbi Tucker had a hit apiece.
"All season long we've played very well on Sunday and today was no exception," head coach Bob Brock said. "Each senior contributed today. What a good recruiting class we had four years ago. The four have plenty of softball left ahead with the last week of the season and the tournament."
Benavidez and Damian got things started for the Kats in the third inning. With two outs, Benavidez and left fielder Jessica Slater both singled. Damian fired a two-run single to score both runners for a 2-0 lead.
McNeese State got one run back in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Goree that scored Ashley Modzelewski who doubled.
Designated player Hillary Adams opened the bottom of the sixth inning with her 10th home run of the season, blasting the ball over the scoreboard in left field.
The Cowgirls tied the game 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning with RBI singes by designated player Emily Vincent and catcher Ashley Modzelewski.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Isbell lead off reaching first when she was hit by a pitch. Tucker and Alyssa Coggins both singles to set the stage for Benavidez's game winning hit.
Meme Quinn was the winning pitcher for Sam Houston in relief.
Sam Houston will close out the regular season with a weekend series at Northwestern State next Saturday and Sunday. The Southland Conference tournament will begin the next week, also in Natchitoches, La.
