Hot Bats Fuel Texas Lutheran to Saturday Sweep in Kerrville

KERRVILLE, Texas -- No. 14 Texas Lutheran combined for 22 runs on 24 hits to sweep Saturday's doubleheader and earn a series win in Kerrville Saturday afternoon, winning game one 11-1 and game two 11-2 over Schreiner - both in run-rule fashion.

Texas Lutheran came out swinging with eight runs in the first - immediately putting the game in run-rule territory. Serena Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Foy H. Moody) started things with an RBI single before Reagan Hillis (Cedar Park/Cedar Park) reached on an RBI fielder's choice. A Madison Johnson (Round Rock/Round Rock) sacrifice fly drove in Gonzalez before a Taylor Vannett (Kingwood/Kingwood) RBI single gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

Linzee Leal (Corpus Christi/Mary Carroll) would drive in the Bulldog's fifth run of the inning with an RBI single of her own. After loading the bases, Annie Kay (Sinton/Sinton) and Kylee Jack (Richwood/Brazoswood) would draw RBI walks before Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek) would steal home to close the scoring.

In the third inning, Annie Kay extended her hit streak with a two-RBI single after walks to Leal and Clark.

Texas Lutheran followed up in the fourth with one final run via an RBI single from Caelee Clark.

Schreiner (2-25, 1-10 SCAC) got a run back in the bottom of the fourth before sophomore Ainsley Davis (Rockwall/Jesuit (OR)) entered and retired the side. Davis would pitch two innings in relief, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout.

Senior Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls) earned her 12th win of the season, pitching three shutout innings, striking out five and only surrendering one hit and one hit by pitch on the afternoon.

Clark went 2-for-2 with two walks, four stolen bases, three runs scored, and an RBI. Annie Kay went 2-for-2 with two walks, pacing the squad with three RBIs while Taylor Vannett went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Game two saw the Texas Lutheran lineup break through for 11 runs on 14 hits with the Bulldogs recording four extra base hits. Caelee Clark (3-for-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 4 SB), Kylee Jack (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI), Tatum Seith (Hewitt/Midway) (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, R), Kourtney Belinger (Houston/Grand Oaks) (2-for-2, 2B, BB, SB, 3 RBI), and Reagan Hillis (2-for-3, RBI, SB) each provided multi-hit games while Texas Lutheran would steal ten bases in a single-game for the fourth time this season.

Texas Lutheran struck first with three runs in the first. Kylee Jack drove in Caelee Clark with an RBI double then Tavery Ortiz (Texas City/Texas City) drove in Jack with an RBI single. Bellinger doubled home Ortiz with two away to cap off the opening frame.

Caelee Clark got the scoring started with an RBI double, pushing TLU's lead to 4-0. After stealing third and Annie Kay reaching on a single and second, Clark would score on an RBI groundout from Kylee Jack. A two-out RBI double from Tatum Seith extended the lead to 6-0. Schreiner would strike for a pair following a TLU error in the bottom of the inning to shrink the TLU lead to 6-2.

After the two unearned runs in the second, Bulldog right-hander Sydney Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) settled in for a complete game to earn her third victory of the season. Ouellette struck out four, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and one walk.

Bellinger hammered a two-RBI single in the fourth to get the runs back and return the TLU lead to six. A bunt single from Reagan Hillis scored Seith to bring the Bulldogs lead to 9-2 after four innings.

A Harleigh Russell (Fort Worth/Boswell) sacrifice fly and a Tavery Ortiz RBI groundout would produce the game's final two runs in the fifth.

TLU closes its three-game series with Schreiner on Sunday afternoon at 12 PM. All streaming and stat links can be found 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).