MARSHALL, Texas – In the third and final game of the series, the East Texas Baptist University softball team topped the University of the Ozarks (Ark.), 7-2, on Sunday afternoon at Taylor Field. With the three-game series sweep, fifth-ranked ETBU ups its record to 24-6 overall and 17-3 in American Southwest Conference competition.

The ETBU lineup finished with 10 base hits, and three different players had two hits apiece. At the top of the order, Lindsey Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice, while Alexis Padilla batted 3-for-4 with two RBI. Lexi Meadows was 2-for-2 and also scored two times. In relief of starter Raquel Tello, Kelly Jo McLendon (9-4) earned the victory with six innings of one-run ball. McLendon allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked none.

Leading by a 1-0 margin after one inning, ETBU soon after trailed 2-1 following a two-run second inning by the Ozarks. That deficit turned out to be short-lived, however, as Katy Hill and Vasquez each scored in the bottom half to give ETBU a 3-2 lead. Further in the fourth, Padilla hit a 2-RBI single up the middle to plate both Vasquez and Meadows and increase ETBU's advantage to 5-2. In the fifth, Vasquez drove in another run on a fielder's choice.

ETBU will be on the road for its next series, playing at Louisiana College for three games starting on April 8 in Pineville, Louisiana.