Long Ball Lift Lamar To Double-Header Sweep
Courtesy:Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Lamar used the long ball earn the Cardinals a Southland Conference softball doubleheader sweep over Sam Houston Saturday at Fort Park in Beaumont.
The Cards totaled six home runs and a triple as they defeated the Bearkats 9-4 in the opening game and 5-4 in eight innings in the nightcap.
Sam Houston struck first in the opener as Cecilia Castillo singled in a run in the top of the third inning.
But the Cardinals scored three runs on a pair of home runs in the bottom of the third.
Tiffany Castillo tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth and Jessica Slater put the Kats back in front 4-3 with an RBI single.
The lead was short-lived as Lamar scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Two of the runs were unearned due to an error.
The Cardinals added another tally on a home run in the sixth.
Haley Baros pitched the first three innings for Sam Houston.
Meme Quinn pitched two and a third innings in relief, drawing the loss.
Amber Neal pitched in the sixth inning.
Again in the nightcap, Sam Houston held early leads as Cecilia Castillo hit a solo home run in the top of the first.
Tiffany Castillo tallied an unearned run in the fifth inning.
Kim Damian tied the contest bringing in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh Ashlee Isbell put the Kats in front 4-3 with an RBI single.
Lamar’s sixth home run of the day forced extra innings and an unearned run after an error proved to be the game winner in the bottom of the eighth.
Sam Houston and Lamar will play the third and final game of the series Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Bearkats WBB Begins WNIT Tomorrow Night
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The Sam Houston women’s basketball team makes its first Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) appearance Thursday night when the Bearkats take on Tulane at 7 p.m. at Devlin Field House in New Orleans.
Sam Houston earned its WNIT berth with an 18-14 overall record, going 13-5 to earn the Bearkats’ their first Southland Conference regular season women’s basketball championship in 26 seasons in the league.
The Bearkats made their first women’s national post-season tournament appearance last year, defeating Rice in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) before falling in the quarterfinals to Northern Iowa.
For Tulane, Thursday’s game marks the Green Wave’s third trip to the WNIT in as many years and Tulane’s 15th overall postseason appearance.
Tulane enter the tournament with a 22-8 overall record after tying for second place in Conference USA.
“Everyone, coaches and players, is really excited still be playing at this time of the year,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. “We know Tulane has an outstanding team with a really strong backcourt.”
Sam Houston was the runner-up in the Southland post-season tournament in Katy last weekend, reaching the league finals for the first time.
Sequeena Thomas and Angela Beadle were named all-tournament.
Thomas averaged 16.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game while teammate Beadle pulled down 11 rebounds in the championship game and nine in the semifinals along with scoring 19 against Lamar.
The Southland Conference has sent a team to the WNIT for seven consecutive years with Sam Houston State receiving its first-ever invitation this season.
Thomas also earned honors as Southland “Defensive Player of the Year”, leading the league in rebounding with 12.5 rebounds per conference game, including 9.4 defensive rebounds per league game.
She registered 1.3 blocks per contest and recorded a league-best 19 double-doubles.
Brenda Nichols earned her first coach of the year award after guiding the Bearkats to their first overall South Conference regular-season championship.
Sam Houston senior guard Britni Martin was selected to the All-Southland first team for the third consecutive season.
Martin leads the Bearkats in scoring with 16.2 points per game, which ranks fifth in the Southland.
She ranks second in the league in 3-pointers made (2.5 per game), fourth in free throw percentage (.817) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and fifth in assists (4.2).
Thomas completed the first-team all-conference selections.
Sam Houston’s www.gobearkats.com will feature live audio streaming of Thursday’s WNIT game.