The Austin College softball team split its home opening doubleheader against Hendrix College on Saturday, falling 11-4 in game one before bouncing back with a 12-8 win in game two. The 'Roos are now 3-1 overall to start the season.
Hendrix jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added another run in the second, but Austin College answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 3-2 game. Sophia Hernandez came home on an error for the first run, while Briana Hernandez brought in the second run with an RBI single.
The Warriors added a run in the third but the 'Roos evened things up in the bottom half of the inning when Emily Low singled home a run and later stole home to make it 4-4. Hendrix started taking advantage of several Austin College errors to add two runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and three in the sixth to extend the margin to 11-4 and the 'Roos were unable to answer.
Briana Hernandez went 2-for-2 to pace the 'Roos on offense, while Sophia Hernandez took the loss, surrendering eight runs, including four earned, in 5.0 innings of work with five strikeouts.
In the second game, Hendrix again scored twice in the first, but Austin College exploded for five runs in their first at-bat to go ahead 5-2. Kierra Gaither brought home two runs with a double to highlight the big inning, while Lauren Mara added an RBI single. Three more runs came across for Austin College in the second, with Mara singling home two more runs to make it 8-2.
Hendrix bounced back with four runs in the third to cut it to a two run game, but the 'Roos got RBI singles from Low and Jaylin Clevenger in the bottom of the inning to push it to a 10-6 game. Two more runs came home in the fifth to make it 12-6 before Hendrix got two runs back in the seventh, and the Warriors loaded the bases before Victoria Herrera came on to close the door with a strikeout and earn the save.
Mara finished the game going 3-for-4 with three RBI and Clevenger went 2-for-2. Briana Hernandez went 2-for-5, and Katherine Wright earned the victory in the circle.