Coming into the weekend in 11th place in the Southland Conference softball race, Houston Baptist played like a league front-runner as the Huskies handed Sam Houston a 16-6 run-rule defeat Sunday at the Bearkat Softball Complex.

The win allowed HBU to take two-of-three games in the pair's softball series Friday and Saturday at the Softball Complex. Sam Houston opened the series Friday with a 5-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader but fell 3-2 in the nightcap. The Bearkats dropped to 15-27 for the year and 7-11 in the league.

Shortstop Savana Guidry made a strong case for league hitter-of-the-week as she went 9-for-13 at the plate (a .692 average) including a double and a triple, two RBIs and four runs as the Huskies lead-off hitter. Eight of those nine hits came in succession from her last at bat in the opening game Friday to her final at bat Saturday.

Houston Baptist, now 14-22 for the season and 6-12 in Southland action, hit .333 as a team in the series including three doubles, a triple and five home runs. Designated player Brooke Bushman accounted for the Huskies' final four runs with a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning.

The Bearkats totaled 11 hits Saturday with center fielder Bailey Watson, third baseman Breanna Homer, designated player Ashley Goetz and first baseman Codi Carpenter each picking up two hits apiece.

Carpenter chalked up two runs batted in while Homer, shortstop Tiffany Castillo and Goetz each had one RBI apiece.

Laci Belovsky was the winning pitcher for HBU while starting pitcher Taylor Atkinson took the loss. Jordan Franks, Lindsey McLeod and Jade Alford all pitched in relief.

Sam Houston returns to action with a road game Tuesday at Texas Southern. The Bearkats return to the Softball Complex Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader with Texas A&M.