No. 4 TLU Dominates Huston-Tillotson in Home Opener

SEGUIN, Texas -- No. 4 Texas Lutheran (3-1) opened the 2023 home slate with two run-rule victories over NAIA-opponent Huston-Tillotson - winning game one, 12-1, and game two, 13-0, on Saturday at Ed Kruse Stadium.

The packed stands at Ed Kruse Stadium saw the Bulldogs string together runs in each of the first three innings to beat the Rams in game one. Texas Lutheran pushed three across in the first inning before doing the same in the second inning and putting the game fully in run-rule territory with a six-run third inning.

Three Bulldogs registered three runs batted in in the first game of the doubleheader in freshman Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek), junior Madison Johnson (Round Rock/Round Rock), and senior Laura Hernandez (Missouri City/Ridge Point), while freshman Annie Kay (Sinton/Sinton) brought in one.

Hernandez started the scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning.

In the second, Caelee Clark drove in Missy Muras (La Grange/La Grange) on a fielder's choice, before Madison Johnson tripled to right field to score Clark and extend the TLU lead to 5-0. An Annie Kay sac fly would score Johnson for the final run in the second inning.

Clark and Johnson would tally two more RBI each in the third to put the game out of reach.

Senior Sydney Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) collected her first win of the season in the circle, tossing a complete game one-hitter and striking out two. Ouellette gave up one run on one hit and two walks as she maintained a no-hitter through 4.1 innings.

Texas Lutheran kept the bats hot in game two beating the Rams, behind home runs from Laura Hernandez and Serena Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Foy H. Moody) and a 10 strikeout performance from pitcher Amanda White (Lockhart/Lockhart) in the shutout.

TLU struck early in the first inning off the bat of Madison Johnson as the junior drove in Caelee Clark to take a quick 1-0 lead. Laura Hernandez would drive in Johnson to take a 2-0 lead after the first.

Hernandez would hit her second home run of the day, a solo shot in the third inning, to continue her dominant day and extend the Bulldog lead to 3-0.

In the fourth inning, TLU would break the game open - putting up 10 runs on seven hits including a three run home run from freshman Serena Gonzalez, her second of the season, for a final exclamation point on the huge inning. Reagan Jones (Pearland/Friendswood), Caelee Clark, Madison Johnson, Reagan Hillis (Cedar Park/Cedar Park), Kylee Jack (Richwood/Brazoswood), Kloee Wells (Dayton/Dayton), and Gonzalez would all drive in runs in the inning.

Amanda White (1-0) matched her career-high with 10 strikeouts in the win, allowing just two Rams hits. It was the Bulldogs second shutout in four games this season.

No. 4 TLU returns to Ed Kruse Stadium Friday, Feb. 24, for a doubleheader against Hardin-Simmons at 2 & 4 PM. All streaming and stat links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.