Ross no-hitter highlights LCU’s softball doubleheader sweep of Texas College

PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University softball team got its first taste of Red River Athletic Conference action, and thoroughly enjoyed as pitcher Brooke Ross threw LCU’s first no-hitter in five years in game two as the Wildcats run-ruled Texas College in five innings in both games of the doubleheader against the Steers, 8-0 and 8-0, Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Park.

Game 1 – Texas College 0, Louisiana Christian 8 (5 innings)

The theme of the day for LCU was busting out to big leads early and coasting to the win from there. After stranding a two-out single in the top of the first, the Wildcats busted through with five runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Emma Hunt led off by drawing a base on balls, then stole both second and third bases before coming home on Meredith Perry’s grounder to first. But it was a big two-out rally that helped LCU blow the game open. With two away, Bella Houck dropped a base hit into center field before Kayla Dauthier brought them both around with a two-run home run to left to make it 3-0. Olivia Coaker singled to left before Shaye Tredinich and Hailey Vitrano both drew walks to load the bases. That’s when KayeLea Dearmon stepped up and busted a base hit back up the middle to score both Coaker and Tredinich to give the Wildcats a 5-0 lead after just one inning of play.

Feeling the game already well in hand, the Wildcats added single scratches in the second, third, and fourth innings to get the lead into run-rule territory. In the second, Bella Houck drew a walk and Lexie Marks came in to pinch run for her. Marks would steal second and move to third on an error on the resulting throw trying to get her out. She would come home on Olivia Coaker’s single up the middle for a 6-0 lead.

KayeLea Dearmon led off the third with a double that banged off the center field wall. She moved to third on Emma Hunt’s ground ball to the pitcher and scored on Meredith Perry’s ground ball to first to make the score 7-0 LCU.

Bella Houck started the bottom of the fourth inning with a ground ball to third base that was thrown away, allowing Houck to go to second base. After moving to third on a fly ball to center by Coaker, Houck came home on Shaye Tredinich’s RBI single through the left side of the infield for the game’s final run.

The Steers threatened to keep the game going into a bottom of the fifth as the lead off batter reached first on an error and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but three straight strikeouts allowed the runner to move no further as the Wildcats ended the contest via the run-rule at the end of the top of the fifth.

KayeLea Dearmon led the offense in game one, going two-for-two with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Olivia Coaker, the RRAC’s reigning Player of the Week, went two-for-three with a RBI and run scored. Kayla Dauthier went one-for-three with that one representing her third home run of the season which accounted for both of her RBI and run scored. Shaye Tredinich went one-for-one with a pair of walks, scored a run, and knocked in a run as well. Meredith Perry got two RBI even without getting a base hit.

Bailey McMillian (3-1) picked up the complete game shutout, giving up just two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts as she threw all five innings of game one.

Game 2 – Texas College 0, Louisiana Christian 8 (5 innings)

Game two followed a similar format to game one, with a big first inning and the Wildcats coasting home from there. After getting the Steers up and down in order in the top half, Emma Hunt walked to open the bottom half, stole second, and raced home from second on Maci Rozas’s perfectly placed bunt base hit. After Rozas stole second, Brooke Ross hit a ball to short where the throw was rushed and offline, allowing Rozas to come home. Bella Houck followed with a sharply hit ball that went through the right side of the infield and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Ross to come home from first for a 3-0 LCU lead. Jaclyn Deason grounded a ball to first that was bobbled, allowing her to reach as Houck moved from second to third. Deason then stole second base, putting her in position to allow Olivia Coaker’s hit up the middle to score both Houck and Deason to make it 5-0 Wildcats. With the bases loaded, Karlie Stine’s blooper to left-center scored Coaker for a 6-0 lead. Maci Rozas’s pop up into shallow right field was deep enough to score Hailey Vitrano from third for the frame’s final run as the Wildcats took a 7-0 lead into the second inning.

Bella Houck led off the bottom of the second inning with a base hit up the middle, and Brianna Lopez came in to run for her. Lopez moved to second on a base hit by Jaclyn Deason, went to third on a ground ball to short by Vitrano, and scored on Desiree Squires’ bloop double down the left field line which made the score 8-0 Wildcats. That would be the final run of the game as both defenses recorded outs and the Steers failed to mount a challenge to end the game early.

Bella Houck was the only Wildcat with multiple hits as plenty of players saw time in the contest. Houck went two-for-three in game two with a double, a RBI, and a run scored. Maci Rozas went one-for-one with two RBI, stole a base, and scored a run. Olivia Coaker went one-for-three with two RBI and a run scored. Desiree Squires and Karlie Stein each also knocked in a run in the night cap.

Brooke Ross (2-2) was nearly perfect in the second game of the day, taking a perfect game into the fifth, and final, inning before a base runner was allowed on. She would finish the game with a no-hitter, LCU’s first no-hitter since Savannah Settle achieved perfection on March 31, 2017 against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Ross threw all five innings and gave up no hits and no runs, didn’t walk any batters, and struck out nine.

The Wildcats (9-3, 2-0 RRAC) look to keep the hot start of the season going as they play their final home games for a month on Sunday when Southeastern Baptist comes to town for a pair of games. First pitch of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Chargers (0-12) is set for 1:00 P.M. at Wildcat Park.