MONROE, La. – The HCU softball team opened its 2023 campaign with a bang, shutting out Lindenwood for an 8-0, five-inning victory in the opening game of the ULM Best on the Bayou Classic on Friday.
Junior
Lyndie Swanson scattered four singles across five innings in the circle to earn the win for the Huskies (1-0), moving to 1-0 to start the year. Swanson struck out five Lindenwood (0-1) batters without issuing a walk. She allowed just one baserunner to advance past first in five innings of work.
Junior
Kaicey Hagler had a day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and a triple, driving in four runs and scoring once. Senior
Autumn Sydlik finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one. Breanna Herrera hit a two-run home run while
Jasie Roberts scored twice with one RBI.
Avery Drake started the game with a leadoff walk, stole second and then advance to third on a throwing error on a
Maggie Childs grounder that led to runners on second and third. With one out, Roberts doubled to score Drake and advance Childs to third. Sydlik then hit a sacrifice fly to score Childs followed by a triple off the bat of Hagler, scoring Roberts and staking the Huskies to a 3-0 lead.
Haylie Savage led off the third with a bunt single and after a fielder's choice left Roberts on first with one out Sydlik drove a double to left center to put two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Hagler, doubled to right center to bring home two more runs and make it a 5-0 ballgame.
With two outs in the fifth Sydlik singled up the middle followed by another Hagler double that scored one and brought the score to 6-0. Herrera then came up as a pinch hitter and stroked a two-run home run over the fence to left.
HCU will back on the field on Saturday, Feb. 11, for two games at the Best on the Bayou Classic starting with another game against Lindenwood at 10:00 a.m. followed by a game against Western Michigan at 12:30 p.m.
