Lamar sports information

HUNTSVILLE – The Lamar Cardinals pounded out 26 hits on Friday, including a season-high 17 in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep of the host Sam Houston State Bearkats by scores of 6-1 and 10-5 in Southland Conference softball action.

The Cardinals hit four home runs on the day, including one in each game by Shelby Henderson.

In Game 1, Henderson, Kelly Meeuwsen and Kendall Talley all homered as the Cardinals pounded out five extra-base hits in support of Laura Napoli, who pitched a complete game for her 49th career victory.

The Bearkats scored an unearned run in the first inning, but couldn’t get to Napoli (10-8) after that. The senior right-hander scattered five hits and did not walk a batter while striking out one.

The Cardinals quickly responded in the top of the second as Talley opened the inning with a triple down the left-field line. Henderson followed with her fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left field to give the Cardinals the lead for good.

Meeuwsen homered to right field in the third to boost LU’s lead to 3-1. The score stayed that way until the seventh when the Cardinals broke the game open with three runs. Meeuwsen hit a one-out single, her third hit of the game, and scored on Taylor Davis’ double to center field. Kimberly Mattox pinch ran for Davis and was able to trot home on Talley’s two-run blast to center field.

Talley and Henderson had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, who turned their conference-leading 20th double play of the season in the seventh inning to help seal the win.

Sam Houston State starter Lindsey McLeod (9-9) took the loss in a complete-game effort. McLeod allowed nine hits and six runs, all earned. She walked four and struck out 12.

In Game 2, Henderson and Meeuwsen each had three hits in the game, with Henderson driving in four runs, as the Cardinals came within two hits of the school record for hits in a game. LU had 19 hits in a win at Incarnate Word last season.

LU scored three runs in the top of the first inning off Sam Houston State starter Darby Fitzpatrick (0-8). Davis and Talley had RBI hits in the frame for LU. The Cards made it 4-0 in the top of the second thanks to a Meeuwsen RBI double before Sam Houston State made things interesting with three runs in the bottom of the second off LU starter Taylor Gruell. Sheridan Fisher had an RBI single before Katie Andre launched a two-run home run to left-center.

The Cards quickly replied in the third with three runs. Talley and Henderson opened the inning with back-to-back doubles. Maddy Myers later had an RBI single before Savana Guidry drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to push LU’s lead to 7-3.

The Bearkats got right back in the game in the bottom of the third on a one-out, two-run home run by Tiffany Thompson that made it 7-5 and ended Gruell’s day. LU reliever Anissa Rodriguez (1-1) came in and pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief to put an end to the Bearkats’ threat.

The Cardinals increased their lead to 9-5 in the fourth on Henderson’s two-run homer to center.