Abram Choate, SID

BROWNWOOD, TX…Two late innings rallies by the Yellow Jackets were too little, too late as the Bulldogs from Texas Lutheran stole two games (2-1; 6-4) from Howard Payne to clinch the final spot in the ASC Championship Tournament next weekend in Dallas. Tammie Hart (South Lake, TX) went 1-for-1 with a three-run double in the second game.

Tiffany Wolfe (Ft. Worth, TX/N. Crowley HS) pitched a complete game allowing seven hits while striking out eight Bulldogs in the game one.

In game one, both team would struggle to get base runners on until the when TLU led off with a single followed by consecutive outs. Then a costly error by the Yellow Jackets put runners on second and third with two outs. Amanda Stavena would then smack a two run triple to right-center field to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead late in the contest.

HPU would respond in their final at-bat with a Meredith Yates (Prosper, TX/PHS) RBI double to center to score Chinesia Rhinehart (Ft. Worth, TX/Southwest HS). However, the Jackets were unable to cross the plate again, falling 2-1 to TLU.

In game two, the Jackets allowed TLU to build a 6-0 lead by giving up four runs in the fifth inning. HPU would recover and rally in the sixth to score their only runs of the ball game.

Jill McLaughlin (Brock, TX/Grayson CC) led off with a single, Dayberly Hopper (Early, TX/EHS) would reach on an error and Kasie McCain (Corsicana, TX/Mildred HS) would reach on a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. After a strike out, Hart would swat a double into the outfield to clear the bases. Brooke Schneider (Yoakum, TX/YHS) would follow with an RBI single.

The Jackets' bats would cool down for one hit in the final four batters of the game.

HPU and TLU will lock up tomorrow to finish out their ASC-West battle. The double header begins at 12 noon at Lady Jacket Field.