Texas Lutheran Splits Midweek Doubleheader at UMHB

BELTON, Texas -- No. 1 Texas Lutheran split its midweek doubleheader with Mary Hardin-Baylor at Dee Dillon Field in Belton, Texas, winning game one, 9-1, before dropping game two, 3-1.

After being held scoreless in the first inning, Sarah Metzer (Sugar Land/Dulles) would get the scoring started in the second with a two-RBI single to give TLU a 2-0 lead. This would start a stretch of three consecutive multi-run innings for the Bulldogs as the Bulldogs would score two more runs in the third and add three more in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead into the fifth inning with the potential run-rule looming over the following innings.

Five Bulldogs would register RBI in the game led by Metzer, Faith Hernandez (Dinuba, Calif./Dinuba), and Casey Martin (Pearland/Pearland) all with two RBI.

Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls), fresh off her NFCA Pitcher of the Week honor, would take the winning decision for the Bulldogs. Strother would pitch six innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out three. Sydney Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) would toss the final inning allowing one hit and a walk.

Game two would make for a tighter contest as both teams went scoreless in the opening innings. 

An RBI single from Casey Martin would give Texas Lutheran a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

UMHB would respond with three runs in the bottom of the fourth - two coming via a two-run home run to take a 3-1 lead.

The Bulldogs would have just three hits in the final three innings. The Bulldogs would have runners in scorer's position in the fifth and seventh innings but would be kept off the scoreboard by the Crusaders.

Amanda White (Lockhart/Lockhart) started in the circle for Texas Lutheran in game two and took the losing decision, her first loss of the season, allowing three runs on six hits.

Texas Lutheran is reaching the end of the roughest stretch of their regular season schedule as they have played 16 games in the last 12 days. The stretch continues as the Bulldogs welcome the Austin College 'Roos to Ed Kruse Stadium for a three-game conference series this weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM on Friday, March 18, followed by a Saturday doubleheader at 12 PM and 2 PM. All streaming and live stats links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.

For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter and Instagram (@TLUsoftball) 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, @tlubulldogs on Instagram and Facebook, and @tlu_athletics on TikTok).