AUSTIN, Texas –
Haley Dennett reached base in all five of her at-bats in the first game of the doubleheader as the Concordia Texas softball team split its two games against LeTourneau on Sunday.
The Tornados served as the visiting team for both games. The series with the Yellow Jackets was originally scheduled to be played in Longview, Texas, but moved to Tornado Softball Field after rain created unplayable conditions.
In the first game, CTX would jump out to a 7-0 lead after two frames, including a six-run outburst in the second inning thanks to a pair of LETU errors.
Leading 1-0,
Olivia Kaase would double the Tornados' lead with an RBI double to drive in
Maddy Ellison, who walked to lead off the inning. Concordia Texas would bring home five more runs in the inning, including an RBI single by
Mycahla Howard and RBI walks by
Summer Harper and Kaase.
The Yellow Jackets would not go down easily, scoring seven runs over the third and fourth innings and tying the game at 7-all.
The game would not remained tied long though when Dennett led off the sixth with a single.
Taylor Smith would pinch-run, stealing second and reaching third on a ground out. She would come home on the squeeze bunt by
Lulu Arroyo and put the Tornados back on top 8-7.
Concordia Texas would add one more run in the seventh and hold off LETU in their final at-bat, winning the first game 9-8.
Dennett finished the game 3-for-3 from the plate as well as a pair of walks, scoring twice and driving in a run, while Howard and Kaase each had two RBIs for the game.
In the second game of the night, the Yellow Jackets would score six runs in the first two innings and would never relinquish the lead, going on to win it 7-3.
The Tornados would tally eight hits in the game, but were unable to capitalized, leaving nine runners on base. Concordia Texas would strike first once again, scoring a run in the opening frame on Harper's RBI single into left, bringing home Dennett.
LeTourneau would respond with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to go up 2-1. The Tornados would tie it up at 2-all after a passed ball scored a run in the top half of the second inning.
The Yellow Jackets would open up the game in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs. They would tack on another run in the third and would go on to take the second game, 7-3.
Concordia Texas will play the rubber game of the series on Monday at 2 p.m. at Tornado Softball Field.
