LONGVIEW, Texas – The No. 4-ranked East Texas Baptist University softball team defeated host LeTourneau (Texas) University, 7-2, on Friday night at the LeTourneau Softball Field. With a win in its American Southwest Conference opener, ETBU improves to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in ASC games.

For ETBU, Lacey Lindsey went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI. In the pitcher's circle, Raquel Tello (2-0) pitched a complete game. She scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing two runs (both earned) and one walk while striking out three.

In the opening half of the first inning, ETBU scored the game's first run courtesy of a two-out RBI off the bat of Jessica Bowden to bring home Lindsey Vasquez. ETBU's 1-0 lead did not last for long, however, as LeTourneau responded in the bottom half of the inning with Rachel Gauspohl hitting a run-scoring single to plate Megan Hill and tie the game, 1-1.

Two innings later, ETBU's first four batters reached base safely, and Lindsey hit a three-run homer to push ETBU ahead by a 4-1 margin. Further on in the top of the fourth inning, ETBU added three more runs to swell its lead to 7-1. Linzie Lewis hit an RBI triple to drive in pinch runner Lexi Meadows, and then Lindsey hit a two-out, two-run home run.

LeTourneau scored the game's final run in the bottom half of the fourth with Hill hitting a two-out double to drive in Brianna Williams. After allowing that RBI double, Tello retired the final 10 LeTourneau batters to close out the night.

ETBU completes its three-game series with LeTourneau in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noontime.