Lady Aggies split LSC North opener

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (March 7) - The Cameron softball team got 10 hits in the first game of a Lone Star Conference North Division doubleheader with Northeastern State and lost. Coach Brent Shaw's Lady Aggies then managed just two hits in the nightcap, but won.

Cameron lost the first contest 3-2 on a controversial call to end the game, but shook off the defeat to post a 3-0 win in the nightcap.

The Lady Aggies got all the offense they needed in the first inning of Tuesday's second game. After Casey Seabolt walked and Stephanie Bour reached on a throwing error, Shelby Davis singled to score both runners. Davis later scored on Bethany Stefinsky's RBI single to put Cameron up 3-0.

Neither team scored the rest of the way, as Stefinsky hurled her second shutout (and third complete game) of the season. The Gonzales, Texas, freshman allowed just four hits while striking out two. Northeastern's Stevie Bailey countered with a two-hit, complete-game effort. Bailey struck out six and walked three.

Runs came slow and steady in Tuesday's opener, despite 17 combined hits between the teams. NSU took a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homer by Rachael Christian, but the Lady Aggies evened the score on a sacrifice fly by Bour in the third that scored Jen Morse.

Cameron took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Bour singled in Megan Young. But Northeastern used a leadoff double by Brooke Smith and Christian's RBI single to push a run across in the sixth.

A disputed call in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the difference in the game. NSU loaded the bases with no outs on a leadoff double by Kristy Seachris, Rebecca Buirrea's bunt single and a walk to Dee Tatum. Shae Moore then dribbled a Jessica Hutton offering in front of the plate and Davis jumped out from behind the plate to start a catcher-to-first-base double play.

But the home plate umpire ruled that Davis failed to touch home plate before throwing to first and Seachris crossed the plate for the winning run.

Cameron will face Northeastern State again later this week. The Lady Aggies will host the Lady Reds on Saturday, in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.