First baseman Codi Carpenter and third baseman Breanna Homer went 6-for-6 and 4-for-6 at the plate, respectively, as Sam Houston totaled 23 hits to run-rule Incarnate Word twice in a Southland Conference doubleheader.
The Bearkats upped their record to 18-30 for the year and 10-13 in the Southland Conference, winning over the Cardinals by scores of 9-1 and 8-0, both in five innings. The victories keep Sam Houston in the running for one of the six berths in the Southland tournament in Lake Charles, La., in two weeks.
In the two games, Sam Houston's offense totaled four doubles, two triples and two home runs.
“All those doubles, triple and home runs. We like that,” Sam Houston head coach Bob Brock. “We struggled at times this season, but I've always thought we were a talented team offensively. It showed today.”
The Bearkats also got a pair of strong performances in the circle. Lindsey McLeod picked up her nine victory this season, surrendering only four hits and striking out six of the 21 batters she faced. Jordan Franks was the winner in the nightcap, spreading five hits over five innings for her first shutout of the season. She faced only 19 batters.
After a foul ball just outside the left field line was dropped by the left fielder, Homer lashed her ninth home run of the season just under the scoreboard in left center to put the Kats up 1-0 in the opening inning. A run-scoring double off the wall in centerfield Carpenter upped the margin to 2-0 in the bottom of the second.
UIW cut the margin to one with an unearned run in the top of the fourth after second baseman Natali Duron reached on an error and scored on a shot to left center field by third baseman Shelbi Swanson.
Left fielder Jennie Kieval's first home run of the season brought in three more Bearkat runs and Homer scored two more with a triple to put Sam Houston back in command 7-1 after a five-run fourth. A bases loaded walk to Kieval and a run on a walk-off sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Hannah Marino ended the game with the run rule in the fifth.
Sam Houston opened the nightcap by batting around to score five times in the opening inning. Designated player Ashley Goetz brought in a run on a fielder's choice and Castillo's first triple of the year scored three runs. The shortstop added the fifth run of the frame scoring on an error on the throw in from center field.
Doubles by Homer and center fielder Bailey Watson accounted for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to pick up the second run-rule win.
Sam Houston and Incarnate Word are scheduled to complete the series with a tentative 3 p.m. start to a single game. Saturday is “Senior Day” at the Softball Complex.
