No. 3 Texas Lutheran Takes Doubleheader as Pitching Staff Deals

SEGUIN, Texas -- The No. 3 Texas Lutheran softball team (34-4, 20-0 SCAC) swept through its doubleheader with Trinity University to secure the series against the visiting Tigers Friday night at Ed Kruse Stadium. The Bulldogs run-ruled the Tigers 12-1 in game one before walking them off 1-0 in game two. Texas Lutheran is now riding a 17-game win streak. Texas Lutheran now has an NCAA-leading 18 shutouts and picked up its 11th run-rule victory of the season.

In game one, freshman Faith Hernandez (Dinuba, Calif./Dinuba) starredm finishing 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Bulldogs offensively.

Hernandez, freshman Olivia Prinz (Georgetown/Georgetown) and junior Bailey Hudgeons (Dripping Springs/Dripping Springs) all drove in multiple runs to lead the Bulldogs past the Tigers.

Sophomore Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls) collected her 17th win of the season in the circle, going the distance, striking out five and allowing one run on two hits. Strother dominated the Tigers -pitching a perfect game for 4.2 innings before allowing a hit with two outs and two strikes in the fifth.

Kelly Jurden (Brenham/Brenham) got the scoring started scoring on a throwing error from the Trinity catcher. Faith Hernandez added another early run with an RBI double that scored Casey Martin (Pearland/Pearland).

The second inning saw TLU score seven runs with Jurden, Madison Johnson (Round Rock/Round Rock), Faith Hernandez, Olivia Prinz, and Sarah Metzer all picking up RBIs.

The fourth inning saw the Bulldogs add three more runs via an Olivia Prinz sacrifice fly and a two RBI double from Bailey Hudgeons to bring the score to 12-0.

After a Trinity double and a TLU throwing error, Trinity would avoid the shutout with one unearned run in the top of the fifth before Strother brought the game to a close.

In game two, sophomore Sydney Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) threw her third straight complete game shutout, striking out five Tigers on the night.

In a matchup that saw the opposing pitchers trade scoreless frames behind impressive defensive performances, Chassety Raines (Spring/Klein Collins) would draw a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off and give Texas Luteran their 34th victory on the year.

Texas Lutheran would register just three hits in the game, their lowest hit total in a game this season.

Ouellette took the win in the pitchers' duel - her ninth of the season.

After managing just four base runners in the first six innings, the Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh following a leadoff single from Casey Martin, Faith Hernandez reaching on a throwing error, and an intentional walk from Laura Hernandez (Missouri City/Ridge Point). After a battle at the plate, Raines would draw a walk to end the game.

On the year, the Bulldogs pitching staff holds a 1.28 ERA - featuring three of the five lowest ERAs in the conference - and has 239 strikeouts on the season. The staff holds 18 shutouts, allowing just 55 runs (45 earned).

The Bulldogs go for the series sweep at 12 PM on Saturday at Ed Kruse Stadium. A JV game will follow at 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).