BATON ROUGE, La. - The Campbell softball team (2-11-1) lost their
fourth consecutive game in heartbreaking fashion at the Purple
& Gold Challenge on Saturday, March 6. The Camels were defeated
by No. 16 LSU (17-4) by a 2-1 margin in seven plus innings.
Courtney Hollier led off the top of the eighth inning with a
game-winning solo blast.
Christina Melton (1-4) again
pitched well for Campbell and only allowed two runs (one earned)
against a top-ranked opponent. Rachele Fico (7-2) pitched well for
LSU with six strikeouts in eight innings of work.
CU again got an early hit in the first inning when junior Katie
Hinton ripped a one-out single to center, but the next two
Camels were struck out looking to end the inning.
Campbell picked up another one-out hit in the second when junior Amanda
Miller was able to push a single to right field, but again the
team's threat was ended on back-to-back strikeouts.
Ashley Langoni led off the LSU second with a single to center. A
wild pitch moved her to second. After a strikeout, a free pass was
then issued to Juliana Santos to put two runners aboard. Melton was
able to retire the next two in order to keep the game scoreless
going to the third inning.
Kirsten Shortridge started the Tigers third with a double down the
left field line, but again Melton was up to task and was able to
get out of the inning with only an additional walk to her name.
Melton tried to help her own cause with a two-out single in the
fourth inning, but a line out ended the potential threat.
LSU again put a runner on in the fourth when Lauren Houston was hit
by a Melton offering with two outs. A wild pitch on a ball four to
Jessica Mouse moved pinch runner Katie Gilroy to third, but again a
fly out to left field ended the inning.
Junior Keeli Michael led off the
Campbell fifth with a double to the gap. Sophomore Taylor
McGee followed with a single to the gap to score Michael and
give Campbell the 1-0 advantage.
The Tigers struck back with the tying run in their half of the
fifth. Applegate started the rally and reached on an error from the
CU second baseman. Mitchell put two aboard and reached on another
Campbell error. A ground out moved both runners up a base.
Applegate came in to score the tying run on a sacrifice fly from
Langoni.
In the seventh, Applegate was able to coax a one-out walk. After a
pop out, Young ripped a single through the left side. Once again
Melton proved her worth and got Langoni to line out to end the
inning and send the game into extra frames.
In the eighth inning, Hollier led off the frame with her second
home run of the season.
The Camels will finish play in the Gold & Purple Challenge and
take on South Alabama on Sunday, March 7 at 10 a.m. cst.
