#11 ETBU Takes 2nd Game from #3 UTT

SOFTBALL: MARSHALL, Texas (3/21/13) – Two of the NCAA Division III’s finest teams faced off at Taylor Field as the series ended in a split for #11 East Texas Baptist University and #3 the University of Texas-Tyler. UTT took game one, 11-5, while ETBU came away with a 3-2 win in game two. ETBU now moves to 17-3 overall and 5-1 in the ASC East and gave Texas-Tyler their first loss in the ASC at 7-1 and 20-2 overall.

Alyssa Romero, Tawny Hank, and Lacy Liles all had home runs in the two games while Shelby Phillips received the win in game two. ETBU handed Texas-Tyler’s Kelsie Batten her first loss of the year in 10 starts.

"UT-Tyler is one of our biggest rivals and we knew they were going to score," says Lacy Liles. "We knew we had to hit and my hit did come through in game two but it was all together a team effort for us to come out on top in the last game."

Game 1

#3 Texas-Tyler 11, #11 ETBU 5

Texas-Tyler capitalized on ETBU’s three errors early in the game talking a 5-0 lead. They pounded out 15 hits for 11 runs handing ETBU their first conference loss. ETBU had six hits in the game and earned five runs. Romero and Hank each had a home run and two hits to lead ETBU. Romero finished with two RBI while Hank had three RBI.

Hank received the loss going four innings with two strikeouts but gave up only one earned run with five coming in. Kelly Jo McLendon pitched one inning as five earned runs came in on six hits while Amanda Fiveash finished the final two innings with three hits and one earned run.

Texas-Tyler scored two in the first inning, three in fourth and three in the fifth for an 8-0 lead. ETBU cut the lead to three, 8-5, with two home runs in that inning from Romero and Hank. Texas-Tyler followed with three in the sixth to put the finishing touches on the game, 11-5.

Game 2

#11 ETBU 3, #3 Texas-Tyler 2

Shelby Phillips withstood Texas-Tyler’s fire power in game two holding them to two runs with one being earned. She moved to 3-0 on the year with two strikeouts and only giving up three hits for the win. Liles and Logan Gardner each had two hits for ETBU. ETBU gave Texas-Tyler’s ace, Kelsie Batten, her first loss of the year as she moved to 9-1. ETBU only had seven hits in the game with four combined from Gardner and Liles.

Romero started off the first inning with a double to center field and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Lya Swaner. Two batters later, Liles singled up the middle to pick up one of her two RBI on the night for the 1-0 lead. Texas-Tyler tied the game in the top of the third and then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.

ETBU answered in the bottom of the fourth as Liles tied the game with a deep shot to left field for her third home run of the year. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Romero sacrificed her at-bat with a long fly ball to centerfield scoring Jordan Bullard from third base for the go ahead run.

Phillips then pitched out of a tense situation in the seventh inning as the tying run was on second base and winning run on first with two outs. She proceeded to get the final out with a pop up to Maranda Westbrook at second base.

ETBU will host Texas-Dallas on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the "Strike Out Cancer” game in another ASC East series.