Lady Jackets Split DH To Start Season

HPU Sports Information

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CEDAR PARK, Texas – With both teams scoring the winning run in their last at bats, the George Fox University Bruins and the Howard Payne University Lady Jackets split a non-conference softball Double header Saturday afternoon at Vista Ridge High School, HPU winning the first game 7-6 in nine innings and the Bruins winning the second 8-7.

Game 1 – Howard Payne 7, George Fox 6 (9 inn.)
Howard Payne scored two unearned runs in the seventh to tie it and a walkoff RBI single to hand the Bruins a heart-breaking defeat.

The Lady Jackets finally came to life in the fifth as Jessica Morales hit a lead-off double, moved up on a bunt single by Evangelina Tellez, and Tellez alertly took second when no one covered the bag for the Bruins.  Both runners scored on Shandi Winstead's single down the left-field line. 

The Bruins pushed the lead back to four on a home run to left with a runner aboard in the sixth, but the Lady Jackets used their speed in the home half to trim the lead to 6-4.  Morales and Tylene Middleton bunted for hits, Tellez sacrificed, and Winstead delivered them both with a single up the middle.

In the seventh, a one-out error on Katie Poerner's grounder to short opened the door for HPU.  Haleigh Caraway singled, Middleton doubled into the left-field corner.  Poerner scored, and when the ball was dropped, Caraway also scored to send the game to extra innings. 

The Lady Jackets punched across the winning run in the ninth when Amanda Gober reached on a tapper in front of the plate and went all the way to third when Poerner's sacrifice bunt was fielded by the first baseman but her throw hit the batter and everyone was safe.  Poerner stole second before Caraway's grounder up the middle got through for the winning hit.

HPU starter Baillie Trumble worked six innings, allowing 10 hits and all the Bruin runs with two strikeouts and a walk.  Caraway (1-0) threw three shutout innings for the win, allowing only one hit with two strikeouts.

Each team had 11 hits.  Middleton was 3-5 with two doubles for the Lady Jackets, while Caraway and Winstead had two hits each, Winstead collecting four RBIs.

Game 2 – George Fox 8, Howard Payne 7
A George Fox RBI single in the bottom of seventh gave the Bruins a come-from-behind victory of their own.

The Lady Jackets got a run in the second when Tellez singled to right, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on Winstead's single to left.  In the third, Caraway bunted for a hit, Morales singled off the third baseman's glove, and Middleton slammed her first home run to left for a 4-0 lead.

Howard Payne took the lead back in the fifth on singles by Morales and Tellez and a two-out shot just inside the left-field foul pole by Pricilla Patino.  The Bruins got two back in the bottom half on two singles and a throwing error by the catcher.

In the sixth, George Fox tied it 7-7.  The Bruins then won it in the eighth on a single through the right side to score the winning run.

Lowrence went six innings for the 'Jackets, surrendering 11 hits with five strikeouts and five walks, but Trumble came in to take the loss in the seventh.

The Lady Jackets had nine hits, Tellez banging out three and Morales two.

Howard Payne is now 1-1 to start the season and visits Austin College in Sherman, Texas on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. double header.

Print Friendly Version