HOUSTON – The HBU softball team won their final two games of the Houston tournament against Lamar Sunday afternoon and Houston late Sunday night at Cougar Field.
 
GAME ONE
 
Caitlyn Brockway and Sarah Venker each hit fourth inning home runs to help the Huskies (6-5) race past the Lamar Cardinals (4-11) in the two team's second slugfest in the last two days.
 
Shelby Echols led off the first inning with a single before advancing to second on a passed ball and third on an Autumn Sydlik single. Brockway hit a sac fly down the left field line to get the scoring kicked off for the Huskies.
 
Lamar answered with a run in the bottom of the third inning to tie things up. The Huskies however, responded right away with a three run top of the fourth. Brockway stepped to the dish to lead off the inning and with a full count sent a home run down the left field line. With one out, Haylie Savage doubled down the right field line before Venker sent another home run to left field. Lamar responded again with a two run bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to one.
 
The Cardinals rallied for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a one run lead into the sixth, 5-4. The Huskies blew the game open by putting up a seven spot in the top of the sixth. Echols walked to start the inning before Avery Drake and Sydlik singled to load the bases with no outs. Brockway singled to left and drove in a run before Jasie Roberts drove in the go ahead run on a throwing error by the shortstop. Savage drove in another run for HBU on a groundout to the shortstop. Venker delivered a two RBI single up the middle which would prompt a pitching change from the Cardinals down 9-5. Riley Martin hit a pinch hit single before Justice Palmer singled to left field. Echols would come back to the dish and drive in two more to end the scoring for the Huskies.
 
Lamar put a scare in HBU late by putting up four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but HBU's lead they worked hard to build proved to be too much to overcome for the Cardinals.
 
If the game Echols went 3-4 with two RBI's while Sydlik, Brockway, Venker, and Palmer each had two hits. Venker had four RBI's, Brockway had two, and Savage had one.
 
Venker got the start in the circle for the Huskies, giving up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work. Madison Cotton came in to finish out the fourth inning and gave up one earned run. Katy Janes relieved Cotton and covered the final three innings for HBU. She gave up three earned runs on two hits and struck out one and picked up her third win on the season.
 
GAME TWO
 
Lyndie Swanson threw her second complete game shutout for the Huskies in the nightcap against the University of Houston (6-9) in the Houston Tournamnet.
 
HBU scored their first run in the third inning on a Roberts bases loaded walk. This would end up being the only run Swanson would need to secure the win for the Huskies. Swanson flew through Cougar batters with a one run lead before HBU tacked on some insurance runs in the top of the sixth.
 
Venker scored on an RBI single from Martin. Martin got around to third and Drake was able to drive her in. Following a walk to load the bases, Roberts sent a single into center to score two more to open the HBU lead to 5-0. In the top of the seventh, Drake singled into center to score Martin and Sydlik hit a sac fly into foul territory down the third base line to score Baylee Chandler.
 
It only took Swanson 82 pitches to record all 21 outs in the game. She allowed only three hits and struck out two while improving her record on the year to 3-1. Game two saw five different Huskies record two hits and another three pick up one. Roberts drove in three and Drake drove in two while Sydlik and Martin each drove in one.
 
The Huskies return to action Tuesday night when they host UTSA at 5 p.m. at Husky Field. The game will be aired live on ESPN+.