MARSHALL, Texas – Dominant pitching and clutch hitting helped guide the East Texas Baptist University softball team to a 4-1 season opening win against the Centenary College Ladies at Taylor Field. This marks the second year in a row that ETBU opened with a win at home against Centenary and third straight year that ETBU won their opening game.
Collecting nine hits overall, ETBU had three players record two hits in in
Daniella Solis,
Sabrina Salts, and
Mikaela Tellez.
MacKenzie Anderson would deliver a clutch two-run homer in the sixth inning that proved to be the game-winner and Salts also recorded a RBI. In the circle,
Beatriz Lara made the most of her first collegiate start with a complete game victory in which she struck out 12 batters while allowing one run on two hits. CC's only RBI came from a single by Wendy Gillet while her and Cassie Gonzales had the only hits for the Ladies. Starting pitcher Amberlee Nix went three innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two. Relief pitcher Nichole Aldridge received the loss by allowing three runs on four hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
It was a slow start for ETBU as they left 10 runners on base while holding CC to five runners on base. ETBU also stole four bases on the base paths. ETBU's defense was flawless with no errors while CC committed two errors on the night.
Starting off in the top of the first CC led off with a leadoff walk. After two strikeouts, the Ladies took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single. The Tigers threatened with a two runners on base on a single and a walk in the bottom of the first, but couldn't capitalize. Lara struck out five of the next seven batters she faced as she would have eight strikeouts through three innings pitched. A leadoff walk to
Mariah Delgado started the bottom of the third inning before she would advance to second. With two outs, Salts would reach on an error scoring Delgado to tie the game at one.
While Lara kept the Ladies scoreless through the next three frames ETBU would create scoring chances with runners on in the fourth and fifth innings. Yet they would leave them stranded. Then in the bottom of the sixth, ETBU grabbed the lead with a two-run blast from Anderson and an RBI single by Salts to go up 4-1. CC did put a rally in the top of the seventh inning by bringing up the tying run to the plate but Lara picked up a strikeout to finish her complete game.
ETBU will have a doubleheader this Thursday at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM at Taylor Field as they host the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in non-conference play.
