BATESVILLE, Ark. – The Lyon College Softball team will open the season at the Texarkana Tournament on February 7th and 8th. On Friday, the Scots will face Sterling College and Texas A&M University-Texarkana. On Saturday, Lyon will battle Texas A&M University-Texarkana for the second time in as many days and close the weekend with a game against No. 21 Louisiana State University – Alexandria.
The Matchup
Sterling College: The Sterling Lady Warriors are coming off a 2019 season in which they finished 17-29 overall. The Lady Warriors are a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and posted a 9-15 mark in the KCAC. Sterling College returns two of their top hitters in Kaycee Carter and Brooklyn Botts. Carter recorded a .315 batting average, while leading the team with 31 runs batted in last season. Botts totaled a team-best 30 runs scored, while posting a .279 batting average. Sterling College also returns their top pitcher – Teanne Edens. Edens recorded a 12-15 record with a team-best 108 strikeouts and a 4.22 earned run average.
Texas A&M University – Texarkana: The Texas A&M University - Texarkana Eagles are coming off a 2019 season in which they finished 39-24 overall. The Eagles are a member of the Red River Athletic Conference and posted a 24-15 mark in the RRAC. In the conference tournament, Texas A&M University - Texarkana defeated LSU-Alexandria and University of Houston-Victoria, before falling twice to LSU-Alexandria in the conference championship. The Eagles finished the season ranked in the top-ten in the NAIA for doubles per game (1.923). Texas A&M University - Texarkana returns two of their top hitters in Jaden Lance and Lauren Bierschenk. Lance posted a team-best .453 batting average, while recording 19 RBI's and a team-high 26 stolen bases last season. Bierschenk totaled a batting average of .364, while scoring a team-best 28 runs on the year. Texas A&M University - Texarkana will lean on Lauryn Henson in the circle. Henson was 5-2 last year with 28 strikeouts and a 5.01 earned run average.
No. 21 Louisiana State University – Alexandria: The Louisiana State University - Alexandria Generals are coming off a 2019 season in which they finished 34-16 overall. The Eagles are a member of the Red River Athletic Conference and posted a 14-6 mark in the RRAC. In the conference tournament, LSU-Alexandria lost their second game, but rattled off five consecutive wins to earn an automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Championship Tournament Opening Round. In the Opening Round, the Generals defeated No. 12 Truett-McConnell University, before falling to No. 8 Georgia Gwinnett College and (RV) University of Rio Grande. LSU-Alexandria finished the season in the top-15 in the NAIA in earned run average (2.050). The Generals return their two of their top hitters in Bailey McCleary and RyLeigh Rutherford. McCleary recorded a .309 batting average, while tallying 27 runs scored and a team-best three triples last season. Rutherford posted a batting average of .345 and totaled 10 RBI's on the year. In addition to her hitting, Rutherford was the top pitcher for the Generals last season as she recorded a 12-6 record with a team-best 1.79 earned run average.
Lyon College: The Lyon College Scots are coming off a remarkable 2019 season in which they finished 33-14 overall and 17-7 in the American Midwest Conference (AMC). The Scots return a solid nucleus from last year's team, including two All-AMC first team performers in
Megan Micke and
Katelyn Platt, and NAIA All-region second team selection,
Cheyenne Black. Platt led the Scots in the circle a year ago compiling a 17-5 record with a 1.97 earned run average. Micke paced the Scots with a .355 batting average, a team-high six home runs, and swiped an AMC-best 36 bases on the season. Black recorded a team-best .363 batting average, while driving in a team-high 33 runs last season.
Cheyenne Herrera,
Riley Shaw, and
Addison Harmon also return for Lyon after posting batting averages of .347, .340, and .326, respectively.
Series History: This will be the first meeting between the Scots and the Lady Warriors, while Lyon is 3-1 all-time against Texas A&M University – Texarkana and 1-3 all-time against Louisiana State University – Alexandria.
Game Information
Friday vs. Sterling College at 1:15 p.m.
Friday vs. Texas A&M – Texarkana at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. Texas A&M – Texarkana at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. LSU – Alexandria at 4:45 p.m.
Texarkana, Tex.
UP NEXT FOR THE SCOTS
The Scots travel to Conway to take on Division I Central Arkansas University on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
Softball Contact: Jeremy Wagner
870-307-7222 | jeremy.wagner@lyon.edu
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