Freshman first baseman Codi Carpenter accounted for the Bearkats' only runs with a fifth inning single as No. 6 seed Sam Houston fell to No. 3 seed Lamar 6-2 in the opening game of the 2016 Southland Conference Softball Tournament at Cowgirl Diamond in Lake Charles, La., Wednesday.
Cardinal pitcher Ciara Luna allowed the Kats only four hits and struck out seven batters as the LU women upped their season record to 33-20. Luna retired 12 Sam Houston hitters in a row before catcher Katie Doerre led off the top of the fifth inning with a single. With Casey Sax running for Doerre and shortstop Tiffany Castillo reaching on a single, Carpenter's shot up the middle cut Lamar's lead to 3-2.
But the Kats could come no closer as the Cardinals totaled their six runs on 11 hits and two Bearkat errors. Sam Houston's three pitchers gave up five walks. Castillo went 2-for-3 at the plate and designated hitter Ashley Goetz posted the squad's fourth hit.
“Today we just didn't seem to be as sharp as we have been the past few weekends,” Sam Houston head coach Bob Brock said. “I don't think that's the way you approach the first game of the Southland Conference tournament. We showed a little bit of life but we just flat made too many mistakes. And we just couldn't overcome them.”
McLeod got in trouble in the bottom of the second, walking two batters and having a third reach base on a bunt single. With two out Lamar left fielder Sarah Ragsdale was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen brought in a second tally with a base on balls. Reliever Jordan Franks got the third out as the Cards went up 2-0 after two. The Cardinals added a run in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings and two more in the sixth.
Sam Houston dropped to 20-32 for the year. The Bearkats will face Stephen F. Austin in an elimination rouund game at 11 a.m. Thursday morning. The Jacks lost 8-2 to No. 1 seed Wednesday night.
“We've got another chance to play,” Brock said. “It takes two to knock you out. We have to hurry up and get over this one and get ready for the next one. We can bounce back. We've overcome a lot of adversity this season. We bounced back some and made some good plays in today's game. We bounced back before and I know we can do it again.”
In two of Sam Houston's last three appearances in the Southland tournament, the Bearkats have come back from the elimination bracket to reach the finals. The Sam women lost to UTSA in San Antonio in 2012 and Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., in 2013 for runner-up finishes. The Kats are one of only five teams in the 28 years of the tournament to force an “as-necessary” game on the event's final day after coming out of the elimination bracket.
The first nine games of the 2016 Southland Softball Tournament will be streamed live for free on the Southland Conference Digital Network, including Southland.org/watch and the league's mobile and tablet apps. The championship round will be an exclusive presentation of ESPN3, available via WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. Chris Mycoskie, Assistant Commissioner of Television and Electronic Media for the Southland Conference, will handle play-by play for all games. Former University of Houston outfielder Sidney Gerbracht will join him for the championship as the color analyst.
2016 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE / RESULTS
Wednesday, May 11
Game 1: #3 Lamar defeats #6 Sam Houston 6-2
Game 2: #5 SFA defeats #4 UCA 4-3
Game 3: #3 Lamar defeats #2 Nicholls 7-2
Game 4: #1 McNeese vs. SFA, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 12
Game 5: Sam Houston vs. Loser Game 4, 11 a.m.
Game 6: Central Arkansas vs. Nicholls, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 13
Game 9: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7, 10:30 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 2 p.m.
Game 11: If necessary game, 30 minutes after Game 10
