MARSHALL, Texas – Facing off against two more nationally ranked teams in the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional Tournament, #7 East Texas Baptist University's season came to an end with two losses. ETBU's last seven games of the season came against nationally ranked opponents and they finish the year at 33-12.
Taking on #5 Belhaven University in the first game of the day, ETBU fell, 4-3, landing in an elimination game vs. #6 Linfield. ETBU then lost to the Wildcats, 7-5, in the elimination game.
POST GAME PRESSER vs. BU
BU 4, ETBU 3
In the top of the seventh inning, BU recorded a strikeout which would have been the third out for the Blazers but a passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to score. That became the difference in the game as BU didn't allow ETBU to score in the bottom of the seventh.
Kathryn Reed received the loss in relief recording six strikeouts and two hits.
Ashley Croft started the game going 3.2 innings with one strikeout.
Tristen Maddox and
Delanie Loya both had home runs in the game. Maddox led the team with two RBI while
Courtney White had two hits.
BU scored first in the second inning but then Loya hit a solo home run in the third inning to tie the game. BU scored two in the fourth inning to take the 3-1 lead but a two-run home run by Maddox in the sixth tied it at three. The passed ball in the seventh inning became the go-ahead run for BU as they stayed in the winner's bracket.
POST GAME PRESSER vs. LU
LU 7, ETBU 5
ETBU scored five runs but it wasn't enough to catch Linfield in the two-run loss.
Hannah Kelley received the loss going two innings with one strikeout. Croft, Reed, and Toni Tamborelli all pitched in relief.
Sarah Bledsoe and Amber Thibodeau both went 3-of-3 in the game as Thibodeau,
Lorena Ramirez, and Allison Carrion all had one RBI.
ETBU struck early in the first as White stole home. LU went ahead 2-1 in the second inning on a home run. They added a third run in the third but ETBU cut the lead to one, 3-2, in the fourth when
Denver Starkes came in on an error. LU took momentum in the fourth with three runs, 7-2, to make it a four-run game. ETBU did score two in the fifth to make it 7-5 but couldn't get any closer.
ETBU has now made the NCAA Tournament and had 30 or more wins the last nine seasons.
