LAWTON, Okla. – The Cameron softball team wrapped up their conference opening series by splitting a doubleheader against No. 14 Tarleton State, losing game one 6-2 and winning game two 8-0 in six innings.
Game one was a pitching duel through the first six innings as
Bethany Hines and Tristan Bridges pretty much held the opposing offenses at bay.
Cameron got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom of the third inning.
Alyssa Osterdock walked to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Aliyah Young came in to pinch run for Osterdock and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Erycka Pierce.
Brenna Busby then drove in Young on a single up the middle for CU's 1-0 lead.
The TexAnns answered in the top of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on a two run homer from Morgan Sebastian.
An inning and a half later, Cameron had a chance to take the lead, but was only able to tie the game at two.
Callie Busby walked with one out and then
Abbey Warren singled to short to put a pair on for
Khmari Edwards. The freshman second baseman doubled to right field allowing C. Busby to score, but Warren was thrown out at home by Georgia Capell to keep the score tied heading into the seventh.
The top half of the seventh was when TSU exploded for four runs, thanks to grand slam off the bat of Capell. The TexAnns loaded the bases again in the inning, but Hines was able to get Karli Herron to line out to end the threat. Bridges worked around a two-out walk by B. Busby in the bottom of the frame to secure the 6-2 win.
Hines (2-3) gave up five earned runs on eight hits with three walks and two K's in seven innings in the circle. Bridges (3-1) struck out five and walked five while giving up the two earned runs on just three CU hits.
Game two was all Aggies, and freshman
Breley Webb took center stage. The Yukon, Okla. native out-dueled the reigning LSC Pitcher of the Year, Jordan Withrow, by throwing a six inning one-hitter. She struck out five TexAnns and her only hit came in the first inning; TSU's only other base runner reached via a hit-by-pitch.
Webb got an early lead to work with as Cameron put up two runs on the board in the bottom of the firth. B. Busby singled to open the frame and then reached second thanks to an error by the TSU second baseman on a
Kaylyn Smith fielder's choice. Webb then helped her cause by singling to load the bases. C. Busby was then hit by a pitch to drive in her sister, and then two batters later, Edwards singled through the right side to bring in Smith from third.
Cameron's big inning came in the fourth when they added five runs on three hits and two errors.
Raley Long singled to open the inning, but back-to-back fly outs left her on second with two outs. Back-to-back walks by B. Busby and Smith loaded the bases for Webb. The freshman came in clutch again, with a line drive to right field. Long and B. Busby scored on the hit, while Smith scored because of a bobble by the TSU right fielder. After C. Busby reached on an error by the TexAnn shortstop,
Abbey Warren added two more to the board with a triple off the right field fence that allowed Webb and C. Busby to cross the plate.
In the sixth, back-to-back singles by Webb and C. Busby put two on with no outs. After Warren flied to right, allowing both runners to advance a base, Edwards ended the game with a single through the left side to secure the run-rule victory.
The Aggies struck for three earned runs on six hits and four walks against Withrow, while Julia Wernet gave up the final run and allowed five hits in 1.2 innings of work.
In the doubleheader, B. Busby went 3-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, and four walks, while Edwards was 3-6 with three RBI, and Webb was 3-7 with one run scored and two RBI.
Cameron is now 9-5 on the season and 1-2 in league play, while Tarleton State moves to 11-2 overall with a 2-1 LSC record.
The Aggies are scheduled to visit Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Feb. 19, for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
