-Bryce Hayes, TLU Sports Information
(Seguin) – The No. 3 ranked Texas Lutheran softball team capped a 21-0 run throug the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season with a three-game series sweep of Trinity at Ed Kruse Stadium this past weekend, dismissing the Tigers 12-1 and 1-0 on Friday, and 8-0 to celebrate Senior Day on Saturday.
In game one, freshman Faith Hernandez went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Bulldogs offensively.
Hernandez, freshman Olivia Prinz and junior Bailey Hudgeons all drove in multiple runs to lead the Bulldogs past the Tigers.
Sophomore Ashlyn Strother collected her 17th win of the season in the circle, going the distance, striking out five and allowing one run on two hits. Strother dominated the Tigers -pitching a perfect game for 4.2 innings before allowing a hit with two outs and two strikes in the fifth.
Kelly Jurden got the scoring started scoring on a throwing error from the Trinity catcher. Faith Hernandez added another early run with an RBI double that scored Casey Martin.
The second inning saw TLU score seven runs with Jurden, Madison Johnson, Faith Hernandez, Olivia Prinz, and Sarah Metzer all picking up RBIs.
The fourth inning saw the Bulldogs add three more runs via an Olivia Prinz sacrifice fly and a two RBI double from Bailey Hudgeons to bring the score to 12-0.
After a Trinity double and a TLU throwing error, Trinity would avoid the shutout with one unearned run in the top of the fifth before Strother brought the game to a close.
In game two, sophomore Sydney Ouellette threw her third straight complete game shutout, striking out five Tigers on the night.
In a matchup that saw the opposing pitchers trade scoreless frames behind impressive defensive performances, Chassety Raines would draw a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off and give Texas Luteran their 34th victory on the year.
Texas Lutheran would register just three hits in the game, their lowest hit total in a game this season.
Ouellette took the win in the pitchers’ duel – her ninth of the season.
After managing just four base runners in the first six innings, the Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh following a leadoff single from Casey Martin, Faith Hernandez reaching on a throwing error, and an intentional walk from Laura Hernandez. After a battle at the plate, Raines would draw a walk to end the game.
TLU sent its four seniors Casey Martin, Chassety Raines, Sarah Metzer and Kelly Jurden out with a bang in their final regular season game with Sunday’s 8-0 win. The Bulldogs secured their NCAA-leading 19th shutout and 12th run-rule victory this season.
The Bulldogs won their 62nd straight SCAC game and have won their 51st straight SCAC series – dating back to their entry into the conference in 2014.
Strother was exceptional in the circle, throwing a perfect game through three and a third innings before allowing a single to left field in the fourth inning. The sophomore finished with a line of no runs, two hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. It was Strother’s seventh complete game shutout of the season and 18th win of the year in the circle.
The Bulldogs offense put up eight runs on 12 hits, highlighted by five extra base hits.
Texas Lutheran scored in its first two innings at the plate, beginning with senior Kelly Jurden stealing home in the first. In the second inning, a RBI triple from Madison Johnson plated Linzee Leal to get the scoring started. Johnson would steal home to bring the Bulldogs lead to 3-0. Senior Chassety Raines would triple to left field to score Brandalyn Dee to give TLU a 4-0 lead after two innings.
Senior Casey Martin would keep her scorching season at the plate going with an RBI double to score Raines to kickoff the four run fifth inning. Senior Sarah Metzer would hit a two-RBI double to score Martin and Kirsten Williams before Riley Futrell, who pinch ran for Metzer, would score on a Trinity throwing error to walk it off for an 8-0 final in five innings.
Sophomore Madison Johnson led TLU at the plate with a 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored performance while seven Bulldogs would register a hit and four would bring in a run. Metzer led with two RBIs.
Following Saturday’s JV game, TLU honored its four seniors Martin, Raines, Metzer and Jurden in a postgame ceremony celebrating their contributions to the program that have seen the seniors be NCAA national champions in 2019 and NCAA national runner-ups in 2021.
Texas Lutheran concludes the regular season 35-4 and 21-0 in SCAC play. The Bulldogs will open postseason play at the SCAC Championship Softball Tournament at UD Softball Field in Irving this Friday – Sunday.
No. 1 seed Texas Lutheran will match up with the winner of the Schreiner and Southwestern on Friday at 4 p.m.
All TLU games in the SCAC tournament will air live on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com, with pre-game coverage 10 minutes before the first pitch.