BROWNWOOD, Texas – Doubling in the game winning run in the top of the seventh inning, Linzie Lewis put the East Texas Baptist University softball team on top, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at Lady Jacket Field over Howard Payne University. The victory wraps up a three-game series sweep for ETBU, which goes to 10-3 overall and 8-1 against American Southwest Conference competition.

Lewis plated the tie-breaking run for ETBU in the seventh and final inning, doubling down the right field line to score JJ Mitchell. In the bottom half, ETBU pitcher Raquel Tello worked around a two-out base on balls and retired the final batter on a fly ball out to center fielder Lindsey Vasquez.

Tello (6-0) earned the win in the pitcher's circle throwing the full seven innings. She surrendered five hits, one run and a walk. Tello also struck out three.

Prior to the seventh inning, the other two runs came in the fifth. With one away, Vasquez reached base safely on an infield hit. After stealing her team-leading 10th base, Vasquez advanced to third on a Lewis groundout. Jayme Perez then hit a two-out RBI single to bring in Vasquez for a 1-0 ETBU lead. During the series, Perez hit safely in all three games and also drove in a run in each game.

Howard Payne would counter, however, in the bottom half to tie the score up at 1-1. Pinch hitter Brittany Ponder had a two-out double to right-center, and then pinch runner Kodi Glosson scored from second on Gaby Muniz' RBI single to left-center.

ETBU plays next on March 11 against Ithaca (N.Y.) College. The game will be ETBU's first as part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's NCAA Division III Leadoff Classic to be played in Columbus, Georgia.