Lamar State College Port Arthur three late runs then held off a seventh-inning rally to beat El Paso Community College 6-4 in the season-opener for the Seahawks at the Coastal Bend Tournament in Beeville, Texas.
The Hawks scored a run in the second and third innings, adding three in the fifth and another in the sixth, using nine hits to get the job done at the plate.
Sophomore Lilly Renteria scored the first run of the season for the Seahawks, starting off the second inning with a single and making her way around the bases on back-to-back fielder's choice shots by Jessica Saenz and Brooke Smith. Vanessa Espitia earned the run batted in on a single to plate Renteria.
El Paso tied the game with a run in the top of the third but LSCPA extended their lead to 2-1 with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Anna Perry led off the inning hit by a pitch and moved to second on a stolen base. Elicia Gonzales singled to put runners at the corners. Taylor Frederick grounded out but got the RBI when Perry came home.
El Paso scored two runs in the fifth to take its first lead of the game at 3-2 but LSCPA responded with two of its own runs in the bottom of the innings to take a 4-3 advantage.
With one out, Gonzales singled, Frederick walked and then Olivia Rivera singled to plate Gonzales and move Frederick to third. Saenz was hit by a pitch to load the bases and then Smith doubled home Frederick and Rivera. Saenz was thrown out trying to stretch to third base.
The Hawks added a run in the sixth when Espitia singled to open the inning with Bailey Crorey laying down a sacrifice bunt to put Espitia at third. Patty Ortiz singled to bring Espitia home for the 6-3 lead. El Paso picked up a run in the seventh but that was as close to a rally as it could muster.
Rivera finished 2 for 3 with a double, while Smith had a double with two RBIs. Gonzales finished 2 for 4.
Freshman hurler took the win on the mound, allowing just one unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks, while Britni Hunt went four innings to earn the save, allowing three earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts.