HAMMOND, La. — Freshman Ellie Grill scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lift Sam Houston past sixth-seeded Houston Baptist with a 4-3 victory in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament on Wednesday.
 
The seventh-seeded Bearkats (19-29) advance to the double-elimination round of the tournament and will face third-seeded McNeese on Thursday. Sam Houston swept the Cowgirls in a three-game series at home in the regular season.
 
With the game tied at 3, Grill, who doubled in the fifth, walked to lead off the top of the seventh. She then stole second base and scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by Huskies' catcher Heidi Jaquez.
 
Sophomore Regan Dunn gave up a walk in the bottom of the seventh but closed the door on HBU (23-16) to improve to 8-11 on the season. She tossed three two-hit innings in relief and gave up one earned run with two strikeouts.
 
Sam Houston struck quickly when senior Megan McDonald led off the first with a single to left field. Sophomore Kyndal Kutac blasted a two-out, two-run home run to left to put the Bearkats up 2-0.
 
The Huskies answered with back-to-back solo home runs from Autumn Sydlik and Caitlyn Brockway in the third off starting pitcher Mika Vento, who threw three innings and only gave up two earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
 
The Kats wasted no time answering. Senior Brooke Malia walked to begin the fourth and her pinch runner Caitlyn Goodeaux moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Hannah Scheaffer, who reached on a fielder's choice. Junior Sheridon Fisher singled through the right side to load the bases, and senior Kayte Martinez untied the game at 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to left.
 
HBU tied the game once again with an RBI single in the fifth by Jacie Roberts but left a runner stranded in the bottom of the seventh to end it.
 
Lyndie Swanson (9-3) took the loss in the circle, despite only give up one run in four innings of relief.
 
Wednesday's game had to be moved to St. Thomas Aquinas High School because thunderstorms in the Hammond, Louisiana area Tuesday made North Oak Park, the home of host Southeastern Louisiana, unplayable.