Bulldogs Split Tuesday Doubleheader against Concordia (TX)

AUSTIN, Texas -- After nearly a month since their last games, the No. 15 Texas Lutheran softball team split their non-conference doubleheader against Concordia (TX) in Austin Tuesday evening. The Bulldogs won game one, 10-0, before dropping game two, 2-0.

The TLU offense had 12 hits, with five being extra base hits. The Bulldog pitching staff of Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls) and Kourtney Bellinger (Houston/Grand Oaks) limited CTX (9-6, 1-2 ASC) to just four hits. It was TLU's second shutout of the season.

Tavery Ortiz (Texas City/Texas City) put TLU (7-1) on the board early with an RBI fielder's choice in the first inning. Mia Landry (Cypress/Bridgeland) would score on a Concordia error in the second inning and Kylee Jack (Richwood/Brazoswood) would score on a Reagan Hillis (Cedar Park/Cedar Park) sacrifice fly to increase the TLU lead to 3-0 through three innings.

The fourth and sixth innings would be the only innings the Bulldogs would not score in game one.

In the fifth, senior Jayna Reid (Dripping Springs/Dripping Springs) blasted a two-RBI double before the Bulldogs would completely break the game open in the seventh inning.

Texas Lutheran would score five runs on five hits in the seventh. Riley Futrell (Florence/Florence) would score following a Reagan Hillis bunt before Annie Kay (Sinton/Sinton) would score Hillis on an RBI groundout. Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek) would hit a two-RBI triple before Kylee Jack would close the scoring with an RBI single.

Bellinger entered in the bottom of the seventh to finish off the Tornados, retiring the Tornados in order including one strikeout. Strother collected her fifth win of the season in the circle, striking out four in six innings and allowing four hits and no runs or walks.

Nine Bulldogs registered a hit in the game with two registering multiple. Six Bulldogs brought in at least one run with Clark driving in three and Reid driving in two.

Jack paced TLU with a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI and two runs scored while Caelee Clark went 2-for-5 with a triple, three RBI, and a run scored.

Game two would be a pitcher's duel that would be decided in the fourth inning following a TLU error. The Tornados would score two runs on two hits and the Bulldog error.

Sydney Ouellette would get the start and allowed two unearned runs on four hits and two walks. Katelyn Howard (Waller/Hempstead) entered in the bottom of the fourth and would finish the game for TLU. Howard would toss 2.1 scoreless innings and would allow two hits and a walk while striking out three.

TLU stranded six base runners and the Tornados stranded seven.

TLU opens SCAC play on Friday, beginning a three-game series with Southwestern. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 PM. All streaming and live stats links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.

For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Facebook (@txlutheransoftball), X (Twitter) (@TLUsoftball), and Instagram (@tlu_softball) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlu_athletics on Instagram and TikTok, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).