SOFTBALL: YellowJackets complete weekend sweep of Ozarks, win twice more
LONGVIEW – The LeTourneau softball team swept a doubleheader from the University of the Ozarks for the second day in a row and ran its winning streak to six games with a pair of wins Saturday.
Kelsie Mercer-Stephenson led the Jackets to a 2-0 victory in Saturday's first game with a complete-game shutout. The Jackets won game two 9-1 in five innings as Taylor Thibodeaux and Kelli Parton no-hit the Lady Eagles.
The Jackets were able to end the second game early with the help of three-run home runs by Kali Behrens and Jourdan Glover.
The Jackets (15-9, 6-6 ASC East) pulled to .500 in American Southwest Conference play with the pair of wins. After opening division play with six consecutive losses, the Jackets won six games this week. They swept doubleheaders from Ozarks on Friday and Saturday.
The Lady Eagles (5-21) remained winless in 12 league games this season.
LeTOURNEAU 2, OZARKS 0
Mercer-Stephenson (Baytown, Texas/Sterling) improved to 9-6 on the season after recording a nine-hit shutout. She struck out four Lady Eagles in the game and didn't walk any batters.
Ozarks pitcher Tabitha Porter struck out seven batters and allowed only four hits. She kept the YellowJackets off the scoreboard until the fifth inning.
With two outs in the fifth, the Jackets placed runners in scoring position when Juliana Tuel (White Oak, Texas/White Oak) singled and Behrens (Montgomery, Texas/Montgomery) knocked a double down the left field line.
The Jackets took advantage of the rally when Kayla Blucher (San Antonio, Texas/Reagan) stepped up to the plate and picked up the RBIs with a single through the right side of the infield.
Ozarks put two runners on the basepaths in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, but Mercer-Stephenson induced a popup to end the game.
LeTOURNEAU 9, OZARKS 1
The YellowJackets wasted little time putting runs on the board in the second game by taking a 2-0 lead after one inning. Blucher and Christin Mickelboro (Longview, Texas/Longview) both walked and then scored on a fielding error by Ozarks pitcher Kelsey Mefford.
After Ozarks scored a run in the top of the third without the aid of a base hit, LeTourneau stretched its lead to 6-1 in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Mickelboro and Anna Winter (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) reached base and then came home on Glover's home run to left field.
Later in the inning, Tuel knocked an RBI single that scored Robin Waggoner (Henderson, Texas/Henderson) from third base.
The Jackets brought the game to an abrupt end two innings later when Behrens homered to left centerfield, scoring herself, Tuel and Jerrica Cepak (Terrell, Texas/Terrell).
Glover and Winter both collected multiple base hits in the game.
Meanwhile, Thibodeaux (Angleton, Texas/Angleton) pitched four innings of no-hit ball and struck out four batters in the process. The one run she gave up in the third inning was unearned.
Kelli Parton (Henderson, Texas/Henderson) pitched the last inning for the YellowJackets.
The YellowJackets return to action next Saturday when they visit UT-Dallas for a rematch against the Comets. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.