First place Lamar visits for weekend series
3/28/2014 8:47:00 AM | Softball
The Southland Conference leading Lamar Cardinals visit the Softball Complex this weekend for an important weekend series with Sam Houston.
The two teams meet in a 3 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday.
Lamer enters the series with a 7-1 league mark after sweeping Central Arkansas and taking two of three from Southeastern Louisiana. The Cardinals stand 12-11 for the season after a 10-1 Thursday night loss at Texas State in San Marcos.
Sam Houston currently stands in seventh place in the Southland standings. Since only the top six finishers in the regular season qualify for the post-season tournament in Hammond, La., in May, the Bearkats need a victory in the series.
Sam Houston defeated No. 12 Baylor 4-3 in 10 innings Tuesday at the Softball Complex.
The two teams were deadlocked in a scoreless tie through nine innings before the Bears erupted for a solo home run and two other tallies in the top of the 10th.
The Bearkats bounced back, loading the bases with three singles. Cecilia Castillo singled in a run and Hillary Adams and Tiffany Castillo earned bases-loaded walks to score two more. A wild pitch scored the game-winner
Lamar took two of the three games in last year's series, winning 9-4 and 5-4 (in 8 innings) in the Saturday doubleheader in Beaumont. SHSU rallied for a 6-4 victory in the series finale. The Bearkats also won over the Cardinals 8-4 in the Southland post-season tournament in Natchitoches last May.
The Cardinals bring another power-hitting team into Huntsville. Lamar owns a .304 team batting average with 28 doubles, four triples and 28 home runs this season. Pitcher Tina Schulz is a dual threat. The senior owns a 5-5 record in the circle and leads Lamar with a .383 batting average.
Shortstop Tayler Gray (.356), right fielder Cecilia Castillo (.337), infielder Tori Koerselman (.329) and second baseman Alyssa Coggins (.308) lead Sam Houston at the plate.
With a home run in Saturday's victory over Nicholls, junior designated hitter Hillary Adams became the all-time leading home run hitter in Bearkat softball history. Her career total of 28 home runs passed Kim Damian's total of 27 set last year.
The Bearkat softball team will host a free youth clinic on the field following Sunday's series final against the Cardinals. Youngsters will receive instruction on position play, hitting tactics and base running techniques from both the players and coaches.
