LONGVIEW, Texas – Coming down to the final innings, No. 1 East Texas Baptist University pulled off a doubleheader sweep over LeTourneau University in American Southwest Conference play. ETBU won game one, 1-0, in extra innings, and took game two, 3-2, scoring the winning run in the top of seventh. ETBU is now 30-2 and 8-0 in the ASC.
Madalyn Melton,
Haylie Stum, and
Izabella Morales each had two hits.
Tristen Maddox, Melton, and
Emma Bell recorded a RBI. Maddox hit her 15
th home run of the year which leads NCAA Division III.
Avery Holland won game one going eight innings giving up five hit, no runs, and recorded three strikeouts.
Hannah Benavides earned he win in game two in seven innings with two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Game 1
ETBU 1, LETU 0 (8 inn.)
It took eight innings for ETBU to gain the win in game one as Melton delivered in the top of the eighth inning singling to left field scoring
Katelynn Jones. ETBU had six hits as Melton went 2-of-2 with two walks. Holland faced 27 batters giving up just five hits with three strikeouts and one walk improving to 9-0.
Holland retired the side in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. She pitched out of a jam in the bottom off the seventh inning with runners on second and third with two outs. The final batter lined out to Holland sending the game to extra innings.
ETBU had a chance to score in the second with runners on second and third with one out but couldn't bring in a run. In the fifth and sixth innings, ETBU had a runner on third with two outs and fell short of bringing the run. In the top of seventh, the bases were loaded with one out but a fielder's choice and fly out ended the chance to score.
With two outs in the eighth inning, Stum walked and was pinch ran for by
Katelynn Jones. She then stole second and was brought home on a single by Melton to left field. The inning ended on a strikeout but the damage was done as ETBU took a 1-0 lead.
Holland then set down the Yellowjackets in order in the bottom of the eighth for the 1-0 win.
Game 2
ETBU 3, LETU 2
The rubber match was just as exciting as ETBU came through in the top of the seventh inning for the win. Maddox hit a two-out solo home run to put ETBU up, 3-2, and Benavides struck out the fourth batter of the inning to take the win.
Maddox, Morales, Bell, Cummings, Stum, and
Mary Frances Ellis all had a hit. Maddox and Bell recorded a RBI. Benavides went seven innings facing 28 batters with three strikeouts, no walks, with seven hits and two earned runs.
Benavides retired the first seven batters of the game before LETU scored two in the bottom of the fourth inning for the lead. ETBU responded in the top of the fifth tying the game at two. Ellis came in as the first run on a LETU fielding error. Bell followed with a single to left field that scored Morales to tie the game.
LETU was retired in the bottom of the fifth inning and had just a single in the sixth inning. ETBU made their move in the seventh as Maddox came through with the two-out solo home run. LETU fouled out to start the bottom of the seventh before recording a single. A pop up and a strikeout ended the game as ETBU stayed undefeated in the ASC.
ETBU will host LETU on Friday at 12/2 p.m. in ASC play.
