Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PINEVILLE, La. – McMurry University softball split its road doubleheader with Louisiana College, winning the first game 9-6 and dropping the second, 4-3. The War Hawks (8-20, 5-14 ASC) lost two-of-three in the series to the Wildcats (14-12, 12-6 ASC).
 
In the first game of the day, McMurry got out to an early lead on the host Wildcats and then got a big inning late to provide the winning margin. The War Hawks led 3-0 after the top of the third and 5-3 after 4 ½ innings, before LC knotted the game at 5-5 in their half of the fifth. A four-run sixth by McM gave it enough runs to hold off any comeback thoughts by the Wildcats.
 
McM tallied its first run in the second when Kayla Otis led off with a single, stole second and then scored on a two-base fielding error. Avery McDaniel had a one-out double in the frame, but was stranded at second.
 
In the War Hawks' third, a two-out rally extended the visitor's lead. Rachel Ripley singled to center. That brought Nina Hernandez to the plate, who responded by popping her third home run of the season over the leftfield fence, 3-0. An unearned run in the fourth and an RBI double from McDaniel in the fifth kept McM ahead, until the Wildcats made it 5-5 at the end of five.
 
In the sixth, the War Hawks had a leadoff walk from Lexi De La Cruz and Krysta Winegeart was hit by a pitch. Ashley McClellan single to left, loading the bases for McM's leading hitter, Ripley. Ripley smacked a base-clearing double to right-center field for her 10th extra-base hit of the season. Hernandez's RBI ground out made it 9-5.
 
Ripley finished game one going 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Summer Quiroga, McDaniel and De La Cruz each collected two hits, as well, as the War Hawks rolled up 12 hits as a team. Hernandez had three RBI and McDaniel a pair of doubles to her credit.
 
Cheyenne West (3-8) went the first five innings to get the win. She gave up seven hits and five runs, four earned. West struck out four and walked two.  Kamwren Jackson threw the final two frames and was charged with two hits, along with one run.
 
Game two began the same as the first, with McM plating a run in its first at-bats. McClellan drew a leadoff walk and, eventually, stole second and third. With one out, Hernandez laid down a bunt single that allowed McClellan to come home, only to have the Wildcats tie it at 1-1 in their half of the first.
 
In the top of the third, Sarah Nagy singled and stole second. McClellan singled to left and went to second on the throw, as Nagy went to third.  Ripley grounded out to third with Nagy scoring and McClellan moving up to third. An error at secondbase, allowed McClellan to come home, 3-1.
 
LC scored twice in the bottom of the second to knot matters at 3-3. The Wildcats notched what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth, 4-3.
 
But the War Hawks did not go quietly in the seventh. With two out, McClellan had an infield single to bring Ripley to the plate with the potential tying run on base. Ripley smashed a double to center. McClellan motored around the bases, but was cut down at the plate on a perfect relay throw from shortstop to end the game.
 
McM was out-hit in game two by a 12-6 count. McClellan was the only War Hawk with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and scoring twice.
 
Jackson (3-10) went the distance in the circle to take the loss. Jackson gave up the four earned runs and struck out one.