The Howard Payne University softball team’s bid for an American Southwest Conference championship falls short with a 9-4 loss to East Texas Baptist University in the elimination game on Friday.
Junior outfielder Katie Poerner was named to the All-Tournament Team. Poerner was 3 of 8 from the plate with a homerun and two RBIs in the two tournament games.
Howard Payne’s season ends with a 19-21 record. HPU finished out the regular season winning 12 of their last 16 games to secure a spot in the ASC tournament.
The game was tied at 1-1 after the first but it was an ETBU four-run fifth inning that opened up the game. ETBU added one more in the sixth and Howard Payne’s comeback try in the top of the seventh only yielded two runs. ETBU won 9-4.
Baillie Trumble started in the circle for HPU throwing 4.2 innings and Haleigh Caraway came in relief. Each struck out one. Poerner was 2 of 4 from the plate in the game.
Thursday Game-
The Howard Payne University softball scores six runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead only to lose on a controversial call on the last play of the game 10-9. The Lady Jackets will play ETBU on Friday at 11:00 am.
After scoring six runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead, Haleigh Caraway came in from left field to close out the game. She would give up two hits and would have Louisiana College runners at second and third with one out. LC hit a deep fly ball to right field and Katie Poerner make the catch after joggling the ball. The LC runners from third would score but the runner from second without tagging up would also score. So HPU threw to second to get the double play out and end the inning only to have the officiating crew declare that the runner at second did tag up. LC won the game 10-9 on the officials call.
Howard Payne got on the scoreboard first in the game when Poerner hit a solo homerun to start the game. The Lady Jackets would commit two fielding errors and allow three LC runs. 3-1 LC after two innings.
The Lady Jackets added a runs in the third and fifth on a Jessica Morales single up the middle and a Haleigh Caraway single through the left side. LC had a three-run fourth and two-run sixth to hold the 8-3 lead going into the top of the seventh.
HPU committed five errors in the game and was outhit 16-7 in the game.
Howard Payne will play East Texas Baptist in an elimination game at 11:00 am on Friday the 27th.