Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – Kelly Meeuwsen’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning capped Lamar’s comeback in a 3-2 win over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in a non-conference softball game Tuesday afternoon.

The Cardinals (12-12), who had been held to five hits and no runs over the first six innings, collected four hits and a walk while taking advantage of an error to stun the Colonels (16-6), who saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end.

“We never gave up,” LU coach Holly Bruder said. “That’s one thing about this team. They don’t give up. Even last weekend, when we were swept at Northwestern State, this team never quit. We needed this win. All of us, the players and the staff.”

Eastern Kentucky opened the scoring in the top of the third when Johnkyria Alston’s triple to the gap in left-center scored Destinee Lizzmore. The Colonels would add an unearned run in the fourth to make it 2-0.

Eastern Kentucky starter Mollie Paulick (6-2) carried a shutout into the seventh inning before thing unraveled. Pinch-hitter Corina Thornton got things started with a leadoff single to center field for her first hit of the year. Shelby Hughston and Savana Guidry followed with singles to load the bases with no outs and put an end to Paulick’s day.

“Corina did a great job of coming through in a pressure situation,” Bruder said of Thornton’s single. “Shelby Hughston does her part to get on base and bring us to the top of the order. Savana makes an adjustment from her previous at-bat and it just took off from there.”

Samantha Reynoso came on in relief of Paulick and promptly got Shannon Klaus to bounce a grounder to second base. Fortune would smile on the Cardinals, however, as the throw home to get Thornton sailed wide and allowed two runs to score to tie the game. Klaus ended upon second, while Guidry moved to third with the game-winning run.