No. 1 ETBU sweeps No. 1 Patriots

Patriots’ second baseman Megan Hutson races toward home plate to score the first run in game one of the team’s double-header sweep on Tuesday night against the LeTourneau University Lady ‘Jackets. The Patriots won game one 6-0 and game two 5-1. Photo by: Christy Grant

On Friday night, the No. 1 ranked Patriots found out that the race for the American Southwest Conference East Division just got harder.

The No. 13 nationally ranked Lady Tigers of East Texas Baptist University swept the Patriots, 3-2 and 4-1, to take over first place in the division.

ETBU, who was picked third in the preseason conference polls, is currently sitting alone in first place with a conference record of 8-2 while the Patriots are in second at 9-3.

“I have to give these girls credit because they had nothing to lose. They weren’t really thinking about the pressure of playing the No. 1 team and just went out, relaxed and played ball,” ETBU coach Janae Shirley said. “We knew we had a good pitching staff but this kind of game against UT Tyler’s great lineup showed what we can do and it was a good challenge for us.”

Game One

In the top of the first inning, the Patriots jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Ashley Klores’ double to deep left-center field.

The Lady Tigers responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the first on Megan Huston’s throwing error. Hutson tried to get Porsha Harrison out at third base but the ball went into the dugout, scoring Harrison.

For the next four innings, Patriots’ starting pitcher Kelsey Ainsworth and Lady Tigers’ Erin Garcia went back and forth, allowing no runs, making it a 1-1 game going into the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth, Whitney Wyly smashed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence, giving the Patriots a 2-1 lead. The homerun gives Wyly her team-leading ninth homerun of the season.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Tigers answered back with two runs on a timely hit by pinch-hitter Alicia Wright.

After two walks by Ainsworth, Stacy Shepherd replaced her and got to two outs before giving up the hit to Wright to give ETBU the 3-2 lead going into the final inning.

“I called the wrong pitch to Stacy and I take the blame for that,” Patriots coach Mike Reed said. “However, Wright made a good hit for them and I give her credit for taking advantage of the pitch.”

The Patriots had one last chance to score when Megan “Roo” Richardson came up to bat with two outs and a runner on base.

Richardson smashed what would have been the go-ahead homerun, but it went foul and Garcia struck her out looking on the next pitch to end the game.

Garcia, a freshman, was making her first collegiate start and finished with seven quality innings, giving up two runs and striking out six.

“She came out in first ever collegiate start and threw a terrific ballgame against the No. 1 team in the nation,” Shirley said. “I give her all the credit because she shut down a lineup full of great hitters and held her composure throughout the entire game.”

Game Two

In the second game, the Patriots fell behind early with ETBU scoring a run in the bottom of the first on a double by Adrienne Meier off Patriots’ starter Kelsey Harrington.

After that double by Meier, Harrington managed to retire the next 13 batters before Dani Miller reached on an error in the fifth inning.

However, ETBU starting pitcher Ayrika Henderson was just as strong, if not better. Through the first five innings, she struck out eight and held the Patriots to no runs.

Henderson leads the entire ASC in earned run average at 0.18, giving up only two earned runs in 78 innings this season. She also leads the conference with 112 strikeouts.

However, the Patriots managed to get one run, which was unearned, across in the sixth.

Sara DeStefano reached on an error by the shortstop and came around to score on a double by Klores. Klores was thrown out on the same play trying to stretch the double into a triple.

“I thought Klores could make it to third in that situation. We needed to take the chance and try to get the lead and it did not work out,” Reed said. “In a game like this, you have to take chances sometimes.”

Once again, ETBU responded with the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth with two outs.

The hero this time was Stacy Jordan, who came into the at-bat 0-for-4 on the day.

After an intentional walk to Meghan Fisher with two outs, Jordan lined a double right over Wyly’s head in right field, scoring Harrison and Fisher. Jordan eventually came around to score to make it 4-1.

By Jeremy Cotham Sports Editor