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NACOGDOCHES, Texas – HBU's two seniors shined as Emily Mueller threw a complete game gem in game one and Cecilia Bauer missed out on hitting for the cycle by a single in game two as the Huskies split a Southland Conference doubleheader against Stephen F. Austin at the SFA Softball Field on Thursday afternoon. The Huskies won game one by a score of 3-1 and dropped the second, 6-8.
 
Game 1
 
In the top of the first, Nicole Shedd's two-out single set the table for Kassie James to put the Huskies (13-20, 4-13 SLC) on the board with a two-run double to center that brought Cecilia Bauer and Shedd across the plate for an early 2-0 lead. HBU struck again with two outs in the top of the second thanks to a Kay Schroeder single through the right side and an RBI double off the bat of Heidi Jaquez for a 3-0 lead.
 
Mueller held SFA (14-26, 6-8 SLC) to just two hits through the first six innings and retiring the side in order four times. In the bottom of the seventh, the Ladyjacks got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. A passed ball allowed the runners to advance to second and third before Mueller induced an Autumn Holloway pop-up to first for the first out of the inning. With one out, a Mueller offering hit Tanna Huie to load the bases. A groundout back to the pitcher provided the second out while scoring a run to make it a 3-1 HBU lead. Mueller closed out the game by getting a fly out to right.
 
Mueller is now 6-12 on the season thanks to an efficient outing, throwing just 79 pitches while allowing one unearned run on four hits with one strikeout and zero walks.
 
Game 2
 
It was Bauer who got things going for HBU in game two, as well, as the senior hit her team-leading sixth home run of the year over the center field wall to stake the Huskies to a quick 1-0 lead after the top of the first.
 
The Ladyjacks were quick to respond in their half of the first with leadoff hitter Kiriany Hornberger driving her fifth home run of the season over the wall to right center, tying things at 1-1. A pair of walks sandwiched around a Brittany Lewis single loaded the bases with nobody out and brought on Shae Bibby to pitch in relief of starter Stephanie Buenrostro. Bibby escaped the bases loaded, no out, jam with just one run scoring on a sacrifice fly and HBU trailing just 2-1 after one inning of play.
 
Emily Wolfe led off the SFA second with a triple down the left field line before scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Madison Clements. Hornberger followed with a single and then scored two batters later on a two-out Lewis double. That ended the scoring for the inning with the Ladyjacks leaving two runners on base with a 4-1 lead through two.
 
Katie Clark opened the bottom of the third with a bunt single and then stole second. Karli Herron then singled to left to put runners on first and third with nobody out. Wolfe followed with her second hit of the game down the left field line, singling in Clark. Herron was caught stealing at third for the first out of the inning and a pair of fly outs ended the frame with HBU trailing 5-1.
 
Bauer led off the top of the fourth with a double to right with Shedd joining her on the bases two batters later with a one-out walk. With two outs in the inning, Libby Brown dropped a single into left field to score Bauer and pull the Huskies within three.
 
Schroeder drew a walk with one out in the fifth, moving up to second on a Jaquez bloop single to right. With two on, Bauer stroked a triple to the gap in right center to score both Schroeder and Jaquez, bringing the score to 5-4 after four and a half and bringing Bauer a single shy of the cycle.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, SFA pushed across two more runs on a single from Clark, a double from Herron and a single from Wolfe for a 7-4 game through five. The Huskies got three consecutive singles from Brown, Brooke Bushman and Demi Janak with one out in the sixth to load the bases. Schroeder then hit a sacrifice fly into foul territory down the right field line to score Brown and make it 7-5, SFA.
 
The Ladyjacks added one in the bottom of the sixth to again make it a three-run game heading into the final frame. Megan Hiers was hit by a pitch with one out before Shedd struck out to leave HBU down to its last out. James hit a liner to right that got past a diving Herron for an RBI triple, again cutting the Huskies' deficit to two. The game ended on a sharply hit ball to first by Brown that was fielded cleanly for the final out.
 
Buenrostro took the loss for the Huskies, allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks while not recording an out. The junior falls to 5-5 on the season. Bibby threw six innings in relief, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits.
 
Bauer led the way offensively in the doubleheader, going 4-for-7 with four extra-base hits, three RBI and three runs scored. The senior is now batting .344 on the season and raised her slugging percentage to .624. James was 2-for-7 on the day with three runs batted in.
 
The Huskies and Ladyjacks will close out their series on Friday afternoon in Nacogdoches with a single game set for 1:00 p.m. at the SFA Softball Field.