Austin College Softball Drops Pair to Open Season

ABILENE, Texas - The Austin College softball team fell in both halves of its season-opening doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday, dropping a 10-1 decision in game one before coming up just short in a late rally in game two, falling 7-6.

Game one saw the 'Roos keeping things close through the first two and a half innings, with Hardin-Simmons plating a run on an infield single in the first but Austin College evening things up in the top of the third on an RBI grounder from Faith Butler, playing Jadyn Myers to make it 1-1 heading into the bottom half of the inning. HSU pushed three runs across in that half of the inning, however, with Emily Jacobs hitting  base-clearing double to make it a 4-1 game through three.

Hardin-Simmons put the game away in the fourth, plating six runs in the frame, and Austin College was unable to mount a comeback in the top of the fifth to end the game at 10-1 via the mercy rule. Lauren Trott took the loss in her Austin College debut, surrendering eight runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work, while Tori Fowler, Myers, and Hailie Swiatkowski each had a hit for the 'Roos. Gabby Montanez got the win for HSU, going the distance and striking out seven, and Jacobs was 3-for-3 with five RBI.

The second game saw Hardin-Simmons jump out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and the Cowgirls added a run in the fourth on a homer by Lindsey Ratcliffe, her second of the game, and three more runs came across in the fifth to make it 7-0. The 'Roos came alive at the plate in the top of the sixth, with Reagan Brinkley getting things started with an RBI single, and she would later come around to score on a fielder's choice. Ashlynn Brothers ripped a three-run triple to cut it to 7-5, and Macie Johnson drew a bases loaded walk to get it to a 7-6 game but that's where the comeback bid would end.

Alexus Johnson absorbed the loss for the 'Roos, giving up seven runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings of action, while Jadyn Myers went 2-for-3 to lead Austin College at the dish. Tessa Contreras had a double for the 'Roos, and Brothers was 1-for-4 with three RBI. Ratcliffe finished 2-for-2 with two homers and four RBI for Hardin-Simmons, and Hannah Aaron got the win after giving up three runs, two of which were unearned, on six hits with seven walks and four strikeouts.