Shortstop Tiffany Castillo posted her 26th career home run and Breanna Homer notched her eighth homer of the season as Sam Houston and Houston Baptist split a Southland Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Softball Complex.
The Bearkats won the first game 5-4 but Houston Baptist struck back for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. The pair will meet in the deciding game of the series Saturday at 3 p.m. Sam Houston now stands 15-26 for the season and 7-10 in league play. HBU is 13-22 overall and 5-12 in conference.
Scoring on a Huskie error after reaching on a single in the third inning, Castillo tallied what proved to be the winning run in the opening game. The Bearkats overcame an early three-run deficit for the victory.
Homer's two-out blast over the fence in left center field in the second inning was the big blow in the comeback. The shot scored center fielder Bailey Watson who singled with one out and marked Homer's eighth home run this season. First baseman Codi Carpenter led off the second with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Jennie Kieval.
The three runs in the frame put the Kats up 4-3. HBU opened the game with a pair of tallies in the top of the first. Dani Allen scored Sam Houston's first run in the bottom of the first. The second baseman single through the left side, reached third on a wild pitch and an error and tallied on a grounder to shortstop by Castillo.
The Huskies cut the Sam Houston margin to a single run as first baseman Libby Brown homered down the left field line in top of the fifth inning. HBU loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth inning by McLeod struck out Brown to get out of the jam.
Lindsey McLeod was the winner in the circle in relief, allowing the Huskies only three hits in the final five innings. McLeod struck out six, facing 21 HBU batters. Taylor Atkinson started the game. Laci Belovsky took the loss.
Castillo produced the Kats' only runs of the second game with a home run to left field in the opening inning of the nightcap. Catcher Katie Doerre, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on the play. Castillo's 26 career home runs rank her fourth all-time at Sam Houston. The senior is one away from catching Kim Damian (who played in 2010 through 2013) for third place at 27.
The Bearkats never got a running in scoring position the rest of the game as HBU right-hander Shannon O'Connor limited the Sam Women to only one other hit besides the home run. O'Connor struck out two of the 24 Kat batters she faced.
An RBI single by HBU designated player Brooke Bushman in the sixth inning and a run by shortstop Savana Guidry on a wild pitch tied the game. The winning run tallied on a bunt single by right fielder Cecilia Bauer.
Jordan Franks started in the circle and struck out four Huskie batters and allowed six hits in five and a third innings. McLeod got the loss in relief.
