Offense Comes Alive as Lady ‘Cats Earn Split at BSC Spring Classic
HOOVER, Ala. – The Louisiana College softball team saw its offense wake up a bit on a Sunday morning, enough to earn a split on the final day of the Birmingham-Southern College Spring Classic as the Lady Wildcats avenged a Saturday loss with an 8-0 walk-off win in five innings over Huntingdon before falling in the tournament’s final game 11-5 to Mount St. Joseph at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
Game 1 – Huntingdon College 0, Louisiana College 8 (5 innings)
The first game of the day had a bit of a revenge factor for the Lady ‘Cats as LC tried to erase the memory of an 8-0 run-rule loss from a day earlier to Huntingdon College. LC jumped out on top in the first inning as Olivia Coaker found the left field line and bounced the ball over the fence for an RBI ground-rule double as Briley Johnston scored from second for a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Bella Houck brought Coaker home with a ground ball to second that allowed Coaker to score from third for a 2-0 lead.
That score remained the same until the fifth inning, which is where the Lady ‘Cats offense really exploded to end the game. With runners at the corners and no outs, Breanna Newman took off for second base, and the throw from the Hawk catcher went wild, allowing Breanna Corkern to come home and make it 3-0. Briley Johnston brought Corkern home with her own double down the left field line for a 4-0 score. Olivia Coaker then brought Johnston home with a RBI single through the left side of the infield to make it 5-0. Alyssa Landry got in on the fun as she found the left-center gap to plate pinch runners Brianna Lopez and Maci Rozas. Kayla Dauthier then walked the game off as her base hit to left center brought in Samantha Cetta to enact the run rule and end the contest.
Olivia Coaker went two-for-three with a double, a run scored, and two RBI. Alyssa Landry went one-for-three with a double and two RBI. Briley Johnston was one-of-two at the plate with a double and a walk, a RBI, and two runs scored.
Bailey McMillian (2-1) picked up a complete game shut out in the circle in the contest. She threw all five innings and gave up just two hits with no runs, walked two and struck out one in the win.
Game 2 – Louisiana College 5, Mount St. Joseph 11
The big hits from game one continued in the second game of the day as Shaye Tredinich came up to bat in the first inning with two on and brought everyone in with one swing of the bat for her first home run of the season and first home run since 2019 to give the Lady ‘Cats a 3-0 lead.
Mount St. Joseph pulled one run back in the bottom of the first, only to see LC extend it back out in the second inning as Desiree Squires dropped a base hit into left field, which allowed Briley Johnston score from second for a 4-1 LC lead.
But the game turned in the bottom of the second as the Lions took the lead on a grand slam. MSJ extended the lead in the third and fourth innings by scoring a pair of runs in each frame. LC looked to get back into it in the fifth as Desiree Squires launched a lead-off home run for her first home run of the season and second of her LC career to bring the score back to 9-5. But that would be all for the Lady ‘Cats as MSJ added a two-run home run of their own in the bottom of the sixth for the insurance to close out the game.
Desiree Squires led the offense in the close out game, going two-for-four at the plate with the home run that accounted for one of her two RBI and her lone run scored. Kayla Dauthier was two-of-three with both hits being doubles. Shaye Tredinich was one-of-three, but it was a big hit as it accounted for three RBI and a run scored, being her three-run homer. Isabel Armand came on in a pinch-hit opportunity and made the most of it by belting a double.
CeCe Pace (1-2) started the game and threw three-plus innings, giving up 11 hits and nine runs, all earned, and didn’t walk or strike out any batters. Miah Broussard finished out the final three innings and gave up four hits and two runs, both earned, walked one and didn’t strike out any batters.
The Lady Wildcats (3-4) return home from Alabama for a mid-week matinee home doubleheader on Tuesday against Central Methodist. First pitch against the Eagles (0-0) is set for 11:00 A.M. at Wildcat Park.
