YellowJackets sweep Eureka

LONGVIEW – The LeTourneau University softball team continued its good start by sweeping a doubleheader Wednesday over Eureka College, 4-1 and 8-2, at the LETU Softball Field.

 

In the opener, Kelsie Mercer-Stephenson improved to 4-1 by pitching a complete-game, two-hitting. She also struck out four.

 

LeTourneau (6-4), which have won five out of its last six games, opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Kayla Blucher, who went 1-for-3, singled down the left-field line with one out. She took second on a ground out and after a stolen base, scored on an RBI single up the middle by Christin Mickelboro to give the YellowJackets a 1-0 lead.

 

The advantage grew to 3-0 in the bottom of the second as LeTourneau scored two runs on a pair of hits.

 

Stephenson reached base on an error to begin the second. With one down, Juliana Tuel doubled to center as Stephenson stopped at third. Both scored on a Kylie Packard base hit to center.

 

Eureka cut the margin with a run in the fourth to 3-1, but the YellowJackets answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Packard, who went 1-for-3, reached on an error to begin the frame and scored on a Mickelboro fielder's choice to give Letourneau a 4-1 lead.

 

Kelsey Brandy took the loss by working six innings. She gave up four runs on six hits with a strikeout for the Red Devil (0-2).

 

Mickelboro paced the LeTourneau offense by going 2-for-3.

 

In the second game, Alex Flanagan earned the win and improved to 2-2 by pitching a complete game. She gave up two runs on seven this with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.

 

The YellowJackets fell behind in the first inning as the Red Devil scored a pair of runs on three hits.

 

After being shut down for three innings, LeTourneau's offense exploded for two runs in the fourth before grabbing a 7-2 lead with five in the fifth.

 

Packard, who went 1-for-3, led off the fifth inning with a single to center and Blucher reached on an error, allowing Packard to take third. Blucher stole second and both runners scored on a double by Crissy Simmons, who went 2-for-3. With one down, Behrens, who went 1-for-3, doubled to plate Simmons. Flanagan helped her own cause at the plate with a two-out single to left and moved to Ashley McPhail, who pinch ran for Behrens, to third. Jerrica Cepak walked to load the bases and Tuel, who went 2-for-2, doubled to plate McPhail and Flanagan to give the YellowJackets a 7-2 lead.

 

LeTourneau added a run in the sixth to put the game away.

 

Sarah Jesse took the loss for Eureka. She surrendered eight runs on 10 hits with five walks.

 

The YellowJackets return to American Southwest Conference East Division play 1:00 p.m., Thursday, March 11 at the University of Texas in Dallas.