The Austin College softball team split the first two games of its weekend Round Robin with Our Lady of the Lake University and Hillsdale Baptist College on Friday, falling 7-0 to OLLU before topping Hillsdale Baptist 9-2. The 'Roos are now 12-17 overall this season as they head into day two of the Round Robin tomorrow.
In game one, the Our Lady of the Lake jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning, and the lead grew to 5-0 after two. Austin College was unable to muster any offense throughout the game, managing just two hits in the outing while the Saints added an additional run in both the fifth and sixth innings to make it a 7-0 final.
Taylor Steelman and Sophia Hernandez collected the lone hits for Austin College, while Tori Herrera took the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
After a scoreless first inning to open game two, the 'Roos exploded for six runs in the second against Hillsdale Baptist, with Rachel Ramos getting things started with an RBI single. Ramos and Lilly Chavez came home on an error, and Steelman came home on a fielder's choice to make it 4-0. Finally, a two run single by Emily Low made it 6-0 heading into the third.
Hillsdale Baptist got on the board with a run in the third, but RBI singles from Mary Whitworth and Lacy Price pushed the advantage to 8-1 in favor of Austin College in the bottom of the fourth. The Saints would tack on another run in the fifth, but Sophia Hernandez hit a run scoring single in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 9-2 final.
Hernandez earned the victory on the mound, tossing a complete game while surrendering two runs, only one earned, on just three hits with seven strikeouts. She also went 2-for-4 with two runs at the plate. Price finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
The 'Roos take on Hillsdale Baptist again tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., and after OLLU and HBC play at noon, Austin College will wrap things up against Our Lady of the Lake at 2:00 p.m.
Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
About Austin College
Austin College is a leading national independent residential liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope's influential book Colleges that Change Lives.