Abilene, Texas - Top-seeded Texas Lutheran University used a strong offensive performance to defeat the University of the Ozarks 8-1 on Monday afternoon in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
The Eagles entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed and were picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll. But the Eagles took the tournament by storm advancing all the way to the championship game.
Texas Lutheran collected 16 hits in the game, and then pitched well enough to strand ten Eagle runners on base.
The Bulldogs struck early, scoring in the first inning on an RBI single and then added two more runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles broke through in the fifth inning when Emma Reynolds launched a solo home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Reynolds accounted for the Eagles' lone run and also added a stolen base.
The Bulldogs sealed the victory in the sixth inning, plating three more runs.
Ozarks tallied nine hits in the contest, with Isabella Hulsey and Grace Price each recording two-hit performances. Bailee Cowell took the loss in the circle, pitching six innings.
The SCAC All-Tournament Team:
C - Isabella Hulsey (Ozarks)
1B - Cady Bowyer (TLU)
2B - Caelee Clark (TLU)
3B - Olivia Sanchez (St. Thomas)
SS - Chesley Swisher (TLU)
OF - Malarie Mican (Concordia)
OF - Emma Reynolds (Ozarks)
OF - Kendall Lynch (Ozarks)
OF - Harleigh Russell (TLU)
DP - Serena Gonzalez (TLU)
UT - Karlee Mathis - (Concordia)
P - Bailee Cowell - (Ozarks)
