MARSHALL, Texas – What an ending to a great Strike Out Cancer series for #12 East Texas Baptist University as they completed an American Southwest Conference sweep of LeTourneau University with a shutout and a walk-off win, 2-0, and 3-2. ETBU is now 24-4 overall and 11-4 in the ASC improving to 21-0 at home in Bell Park at Taylor Field. ETBU's shutout streak of 29 innings came to an end in the seventh inning of game two. No team had scored on ETBU since March 27 as the Tigers posted five shutouts in that time.
On a day that
Courtney White's mother threw out the first pitch for the Strike Out Cancer game, she posted the walk-off single in game two for the win, 3-2. In game one,
Ashley Croft pitched a two-hit shutout with five strikeouts to move to 11-1 on the year.
Hannah Kelley came in for 0.1 innings in the seventh inning for the win facing one batter.
Mary Frances Ellis led the team with three hits batting .500 with two runs scored and a game saving throw to end the inning and go-ahead run in the seventh inning of game two. She also was the game winning run in the final game.
Marin Musicant and White also added two hits.
Gabriella Vela, Musicant, White,
Tristen Maddox, and Croft all had one RBI in the double header.
Game 1
ETBU 2, LETU 0
Croft retired the first 16 batters of the game not giving up a hit until the sixth inning in the shutout win. She had a perfect game until that time giving up a hit in the sixth and seventh inning with five strikeouts.
ETBU finished with six hits and didn't find home plate until the fifth inning when Maddox came in on a Croft fielder's choice. Musicant then made it 2-0 in the sixth inning with a single to left field.
Musicant led the team going 2-of-3 with one RBI. White,
Corley Carpenter,
Tauryn Cummings, and Ellis all had one hit.
Game 2
ETBU 3, LETU 2
What a fitting ending it was for the Strike Out Cancer series as White had the game winning hit ending a night that started with her mother throwing out the first pitch for Cancer Awareness. White singled in Ellis for the winning score as ETBU stayed undefeated at home at 21-0. It was also Ellis' night as she was 2-of-3 in the game with a catch at the wall for the first out in the seventh inning and then the game-saving throw to home plate to end the inning keeping the score at 2-2. She was then the game winning run to put ETBU at 24-4 on the year winning their eighth game in a row.
After Ellis, Maddox, White, and Vela all had hits.
Toni Tamborello went 6.2 innings for the no decision with three strikeouts. She allowed two earned runs in the seventh inning with four hits in the game. Kelley came in for one batter with two outs as the runner from second was thrown out at home to end the inning after a hit to left field.
ETBU scored one run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings for the 3-2 win. Maddox singled in Ellis for the first score in the fifth inning. Vela then had a pinch-hit double scoring
Braelyn Buchanan in the sixth inning. White then collected the walk-off win with a single to left center field as Ellis scored a second time in the game.
ETBU will head to Abilene, Texas this weekend to face Hardin-Simmons University.
