Softball 5/4/2013 1:09:00 AM

Dustdevils Eliminated from Conference Tournament

Box Score SAN ANTONIO (May 3, 2013) – St. Edward’s University dealt the TAMIU softball team their second loss of the Heartland Conference Tournament Friday afternoon, ending the Dustdevils 2013 season.

TAMIU opened the day with a 2-1 win over UT Permian Basin to stave off elimination, but struggled to get their offense going in an 8-0 loss in six innings to the Hilltoppers.

St. Edward’s jumped out to a quick lead scoring three runs in the top of the first off TAMIU starter Sarah Johnson. Kaci Olson came across to score the opening run of the game on a RBI single by Lauren Brode, before Faith Roberts belted a two-run homer to make it a 3-0 game.

After giving up three hits in the bottom of the first, Hilltoppers starter Kately Klug settled down and allowed only two more hits over the next five innings. Kristen LaBuhn doubled to lead of the first, but was tagged out at third on a grounder by Chelsea Capello. Two batters later Mariena Gallardo singled to move Capello to third, but Cassandra Deleon grounded out to end the threat.

Johnson also calmed down after a shaky first inning, keeping St. Edward’s off the board for the next four innings. However in the sixth, the Hilltoppers tagged the Dustdevils for five more runs to put the game out of reach.

Ally Valdez hit a leadoff solo homerun to get things going, before Kaci Olson sent a two-RBI double down the right field line. Roberts added two more to the Hilltoppers’ total with a two-out single through the right side to score Lauren Brode and Kendall Lucas.

The Dusdevils managed to put two runners on base in their last at bat, but two straight ground outs ended the game. Gallardo and Capello each finished the day 2-for-3 with LaBuhn recording the only additional hit for TAMIU.

In the early game versus UTPB, Gallardo finished 2-for-2 with two-RBI while Kyndall Reaves threw a complete game to lift the Dustdevils over the Falcons. Gallardo gave TAMIU a quick lead in the top of the first scoring LaBuhn on a RBI single. UTPB loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but was only able to pick up one run to pull even.

After two straight scoreless innings, Gallardo came through in the fourth with a solo home run to give the Dustdevils a 2-1 lead. TAMIU threatened to blow the game open loading the bases in both the fifth and seventh innings, but came up empty handed both times.

Reaves got better and better as the game pressed on, and following Gallardo’s homer, held the Falcons to just three hits over the final four innings to secure the win.

The Dustdevils finish the season with an overall record of 22-36. St. Edward’s and St. Mary’s will meet in the Heartland Conference Championship on Saturday.

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