YOUNGSTOWN, Louisiana – The Lamar State College Port Arthur Seahawks softball team opened their season on Friday, January 22, taking back to back losses in the first day of the Chipola College Tournament.
The Hawks fell 10-2 to host team Chipola then followed with a 9-0 loss to Northwest Florida State Community College.
The Seahawks return to action for a single game Saturday in the tournament, taking on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at 9 a.m.
Chipola College 10, LSCPA 2
The Seahawks stayed close to Chipola, the preseason second-ranked team in the NJCAA nationally, through the first three innings. Chipola took a 1-0 lead that held true until LSCPA scored a run to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning.
With Celeste Salazar earning a leadoff walk to start the second, she reached second on a Harlie Collier ground out. Riana Tovar singled to center field to plate Salazar for the tie.
Chipola added a run in the third, the opened up the game with five more runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take a 10-1 lead.
The Hawks added a run in the bottom of the fifth when Maylin Louvier tripled to right then came home on a passed ball for the 10-2 final.
Louvier finished 2 for 2 with a walk for the Seahawks, while Cameron Niedenthal, Salazar and Tovar accounted for the other three hits in the game for LSCPA.
Niedenthal took the loss in the circle, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk in three innings of work. Kayci Spittler worked the final two innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits with a strikeout and three walks.
NW Florida State 9, LSCPA 0
After a scoreless first inning, Northwest Florida State left no doubt after scoring two in the second, five in the third and two more in the fourth to blank the Seahawks 9-0 in the second game of the Chipola College Tournament on Saturday.
The Seahawks managed three hits coming from Cameron Niedenthal, Savannah Trahan and Kaitlyn Samarripa, who all went 1 for 2 at the plate against NWFS.
Kayci Spittler took the loss after working three innings, allowing eight earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and seven walks. Samarripa took the final inning in the circle, allowing one earned run, one hit, one strikeout and one walk in her time on the field.
Behind the plate, Harlie Collier threw down two NWFS base runners who were attempting to steal against the Hawks.