Aggies run-rule, then get run-ruled

LAWTON, Oklahoma (March 27) – The Cameron Aggie softball team (17-19, 10-6 LSC) hosted the Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State at Cameron Field this afternoon for the second half of the season double-header between the programs. Both games were completed in just over two hours as Cameron won the first game 9-1, and Southwestern won the second game 9-1. Both games were run-ruled in the fifth inning, meaning they were called because one team had an eight-run lead after four innings. Lone Star Conference policy states that all games where the difference in score is eight or more runs after four innings shall be called.

 

“Overall in game one we played really well but in game two we had one bad inning,” Head Coach Richie Nye said. “Out of the ten innings we played today we played nine of them well. I’m disappointed we didn’t fight back very well. We had our chances to score and I thought we would have scored more runs.”

 

The first game saw the Aggies put up two runs in each of the first two innings to go up 4-0 after three. A huge five-run fourth inning gave CU a 9-0 lead and eventually the win. The Bulldogs did manage to put up a run in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t close to being enough.

 

Senior shortstop Stephanie Bour had a great game for the Aggies, hitting her team-leading tenth homerun of the season in the Ag’s huge fifth inning. She finished the game going 1-2 at the plate with her homerun, an RBI, two runs, and a walk.

 

Bour is hitting a blistering .520 this season after thirty-six games, and was named the Lone Star Conference North Division Hitter of the Week this morning for her performance in Cameron’s eight games last week. In the eight games Bour went 13-21 (.619) with 12 RBI, seven doubles, and three homeruns.

 

“Stephanie (Bour) is a tremendous softball player who has a very good head on her shoulders,” Coach Nye said. “She doesn’t let her emotions get involved, she knows the strike zone, doesn’t swing at bad pitches and makes the pitcher throw her strikes. She’s just a good all around fundamental player.”

Freshman catcher Callie Schlatter and junior leftfielder Whitney Richardson both knocked in a team-high three RBI in the game. Schlatter went 2-3 with a double, while Richardson went a perfect 2-2 with a double and a walk.

 

Senior pitcher Amanda Hibbs had a stellar outing on the mound, giving up just one run (unearned) on four hits in her five innings. She also walked five and struck out six.

 

In the second game the Aggies came out looking to end another game early due to the run-rule. While they were able to accomplish this, unfortunately they weren’t on the winning side. The double-header was definitely the tale of two games, as both the Bulldogs and Aggies looked like completely different teams in the two contests.

 

The nightcap found the Aggies and Bulldogs tied at zero after the first inning, but a monstrous eight-run second inning put SWOSU up for good. Five runners made it on base before the first out was made, and then three bases loaded walks brought in three more runs. A pitching change was made in the middle of the inning, but the damage had already been done.

 

“One bad inning cost us the game,” Coach Nye said. “They swung the bat better in the second game and we gave them too many chances. We didn’t make as many good pitches in second game as we did in the first game and they capitalized on that. Instead of going after them early we got behind.”

 

Freshman pitcher/outfielder Ashton McBride started the game for Cameron, but lasted just 1.1 innings after giving up six runs on three hits with three walks. Hibbs came into the game in relief in the second inning and lasted the remaining 3.2 innings. She gave up three runs on six hits with four walks.

 

The Aggies were limited to just four hits in the second game, which came courtesy of Richardson, sophomore secondbaseman Megan Young, and McBride.

 

Richardson again went perfect at the plate finishing 2-2 with two singles. Young went 1-2 with the team’s only RBI courtesy of a huge solo homerun she hit in the fourth inning. McBride also went 1-2 with a single.

 

Overall in the four-game series, the Aggies won three of four.

 

“If we can take three out of four from everybody our season would be great,” Coach Nye said. “Hopefully we can do that with our next two conference series and we will be sitting well in the conference.”

 

The Aggies next home double-header doesn’t come until Friday, April 13th when CU hosts Panhandle State University at 1:00pm.

 

The team travels south to Dallas, Texas this weekend to take part in the Lone Star Conference First Pitch Crossover softball tournament where they will take on a number of LSC South teams. Stay tuned to goaggies.cameron.edu for all the latest updates, scores, and statistics from the event.

 

“Offensively we will have to pick it up,” Coach Nye said. “We will be playing some tough, nationally ranked teams (at the tournament) and we need to be able score runs. We have outscored a number of teams this season and if we continue to put up big runs we will be successful.”