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08 - Keely Castillo (StJohns)
Juan DeLeon

SB: Huskies head to Monroe, Louisiana for Warhawk Invitational

Five games in three days for HCU, including two with host ULM



ULM WARHAWK INVITATIONAL
ULM Softball Complex – Monroe, Louisiana
🗒️  GAME NOTES
➡️ TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
  • Friday – February 21, 2025
  • 1:30 pm 🆚 Eastern Illinois  📈 LIVE STATS
  • 6:30 pm 🆚 ULM 📈 LIVE STATS 

  • Saturday – February 22, 2025
  • 6:30 pm 🆚 ULM 📈 LIVE STATS

  • Sunday – February 23, 2025
  • 10:00 am 🆚 Eastern Illinois 📈 LIVE STATS
  • 12:30 pm 🆚 Southern 📈 LIVE STATS

Houston Christian University takes to the road for the second of three straight tournaments away from home as it travels to Monroe, Louisiana for the ULM Warhawk Invitational. The Huskies will play five games over three days, including twice against host University of Louisiana-Monroe.

After starting the season with a tough-luck four-game homestand that included three straight one-run losses, the Huskies bounced back to split four games at the Whataburger Invitational at Tarleton State in Stephenville last Friday and Saturday. HCU has played four games in their first eight decided by a lone tally, and sit at 2-6 two weeks into the campaign.
 
The Huskies won one, lost one on both days in Stephenville last weekend. On Friday, Leah Hammack spun a masterful four-hitter to open the weekend, defeating Akron when the Huskies rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Back-to-back RBI singles by Haylie Savage and Hanna York gave Hammack her first career victory as she gave up just one earned run, walked one and fanned one.
 
In Friday's second game, eight different Huskies recorded a hit, but the host Texans erupted for nine runs in the fifth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and end things early, handing HCU a 10-2 defeat.
 
Saturday saw the Huskies put up a crooked number in the first inning then held on to win a 10-8 slugfest over South Dakota State. AB Garcia had her seventh career three-hit game to lead an 11-hit offense while Chloe Foster and Hanna York each had two hits and two RBI in the game. Kynleigh Evans went 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to register her first win of the season.
 
HCU fell in the finale to Austin Peay, as the Governors put up a four-spot in the third inning to pull away. Savage posted her second three-hit game of the weekend and 12th such of her career, going 3-4 with a double and triple while knocking in two runs. Evans once again was admirable in relief, going 4.1 innings
 
For her efforts over the weekend, Haylie Savage was named the Southland Conference Hitter of the week. The senior third baseman from Angleton batted .615 over the four games to earn her first career weekly accolade and the first for HCU since Jasie Roberts was honored in the second week last year.
 
Now batting .458 on the season, Savage continues her assault on the HCU record books, moving into seventh place all-time in doubles while needing just 13 hits, one homer and one RBI to crack those Top 10 leaderboards. The only three-time All-SLC selection in program history, Savage is also quickly closing in on the all-time lists for at-bats, walks, runs and games played.
 
Chloe Foster leads the Huskies in batting average on the season, hitting at a .462 clip with three RBI. Savage is right behind her and leads the team in RBI with seven as well as OBP (.667) and OPS (1.148). She is tied with AB Garcia for the team-lead in hits with 11 and Garcia has scored a team-high eight runs in eight games. York is batting .250, but is one RBI behind Savage with six.
 
Hammack and Evans pace the pitching staff early on. Freshman Hammack is 1-2 with a 3.11 ERA and a .232 opponent batting average in 18 innings pitched and sophomore Evans is 1-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 16.2 innings. Both have made four appearances with two starts and two relief outings.
 
The Huskies are led by Mary-Ellen Hall, who returns for her 34th season in the dugout of her alma mater. HCU returns just nine players off last year's 23-27 club that advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament and also handed Hall her 900th career victory. HCU welcomed an 11-player recruiting class that features five transfers and six rookies.
 
The Warhawk Invitational will see HCU play five games in three days. The Huskies face Eastern Illinois and host ULM on Friday to open things up. A single tilt against the host Warhawks comes on Saturday evening before games on Sunday against Eastern Illinois and Southern to close out the weekend.
 
The Huskies have faced EIU just twice all-time and the two schools haven't played since 2014, when the Panthers took a 4-3 win in the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe to grab a 2-0 lead in the series.
 
ULM scored twice in the top of the seventh to rally for a 6-5 win at Husky Field on Saturday of opening weekend to take a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series.
 
HCU holds a 7-0 lead in meetings with Southern, with the most recent contests coming in 2013 at the Cowgirl Classic in Lake Charles, Louisiana when HCU swept a pair of games 8-0 and 16-1.
 
All five games of the Warhawk will be available via LIVE STATS links on this page or the schedule page.
 
Next up after the Warhawk is a trip to Youngsville, Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Mambo, where HCU will play five games over three days.
 
 
#DawgsUp


 

 
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