Bryce Hayes
SEGUIN, Texas — The No. 5 Texas Lutheran softball team fired on all cylinders in a 9-0 run-rule win over Dallas that saw senior Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls) toss a perfect game in the series opener Friday evening at Ed Kruse Stadium.Texas Lutheran (33-4, 17-2 SCAC) made quick work of the Crusaders (5-28, 0-19 SCAC), jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning and putting up another two runs in the second. Behind Strother’s stellar performance in the circle, the offense gave her plenty of help, racking up 11 hits in the contest.
In the first, Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek) opened the scoring as Linzee Leal (Corpus Christi/Mary Carroll) reached on an error. A sacrifice fly from Serena Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Foy H. Moody) scored Leal as the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead. RBI singles from Bailey Hudgeons (Dripping Springs/Dripping Springs) and Reagan Hillis (Cedar Park/Cedar Park) kept the first inning rally going, extending the TLU lead to 4-0. Laura Hernandez (Missouri City/Ridge Point) stole home to make the score 5-0. Annie Kay (Sinton/Sinton) scored Reagan Hillis on a bunt RBI single before Isabella Rodriguez (Pearland/Pearland) stole home for the final run of the inning to make the score 7-0.
In the second, senior Kirsten Williams (Pearland/Glenda Dawson) scored on an error by the Dallas catcher. An RBI single from Isabella Rodriguez concluded the game’s scoring to make it 9-0 TLU after two.
Strother (16-1) retired all 15 batters she faced in just 63 total pitches, striking out eight. It was the senior’s first perfect game and third career no-hitter. It marked the seventh perfect game in program history, with Maitlin Raycroft throwing the last perfect game against Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2017, and TLU’s second no-hitter of the 2023 season.
Versus the Crusaders, eight Bulldogs registered a hit with five bringing in at least one run.
The Bulldogs registered their NCAA Division-III leading 19th shutout of the season while securing their 14th run-rule victory of the 2023 season.
With Friday’s win, TLU is one win away from clinching the 2023 SCAC regular season title. It would be Texas Lutheran’s ninth consecutive conference regular season crown.
For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Facebook (@txlutheransoftball), Twitter (@TLUsoftball), and Instagram (@tlu_softball) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlu_athletics on Instagram and TikTok, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).