MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State softball team's stay at Southern Mississippi's Eagle Hub City Classic ended on Sunday after dropping a 6-2 decision with Lamar at the Southern Miss Softball Complex in Hattiesburg, Miss.
MSU got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the opening inning, but from there Lamar (10-10) did most of the rest of the damage, scoring twice in both the second and third and once in both the fifth and sixth.
Morehead State (1-13) added a run in the bottom of the fifth. It was the Eagles' lone game of the weekend that was not decided by one run.
"We had some nice performances on the mound but just couldn't get the bats going or string together enough plays to score runs," said MSU head coach
Megan Griffith.
Junior shortstop
Sela Pickford hit a two-out single to left field and scored when senior right field
Taikibrea Campbell doubled down the right-field line to score Pickford.
Lamar's Cala Wilson hit a leadoff home run to right-center field to start the second inning. After an infield single, an error and a ground out, the Cardinals added a second run.
LU, the visiting team on the scoreboard, had back-to-back singles to lead off the third with the latter one driving in a run. Three batters later a double scored the second.
The two squads combined for one hit over the next inning and a half, before the Cardinals were able to plate a run after drawing two walks and then getting a two-out RBI single.
The Eagles got a run back in the bottom of the fifth after redshirt sophomore left fielder
Marie Perdew doubled to left-center field and junior designated player
Sage VanDemark singled through the left side.
However, Lamar capitalized after a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly to send the score to 6-2. It put two runners on base in the top of the seventh, before a strikeout ended the inning.
Despite using a pair of pinch hitters to spice up the offense, MSU was unable to get anyone on base.
The Eagles finished with five hits, an error and left four runners on base. The Cardinals knocked out nine hits, with no errors and left eight stranded.
Morehead State scattered its hits throughout the lineup, with five different players each registering one. VanDemark and Campbell recorded the RBI, and Pickford and Perdew scored the runs.
Riley Whitley and Kamaryn Radford each had two hits for Lamar. Isabella Flores added two RBI. Six different Cardinals scored.
The Eagles used three different pitchers in an effort to change their fortunes, but to no avail. Freshman
Allicen Harris took the loss to drop to 0-4. She allowed four runs (three earned), six hits in four innings and did not record a strikeout or walk. Senior
Emma Solis saw action for two-thirds of an inning, giving up one (earned) run on one hit. She walked three but did not strike out a batter. Junior
Ainsley Stubbs threw the final two and one-third innings, giving up one (earned) run on two hits and a walk. She finished with four strikeouts.
Reagan Smith went the distance for Lamar to improve to 5-1. She yielded two runs on five hits, with eight strikeouts and a walk.
Morehead State returns home to host its first outings of the season when Eastern Illinois comes to town on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is at noon. Sunday's contest will also start at noon.
