Saints freshman Corina Noel hit a grand slam home run in the fifth inning to take the lead away from Texas Southern University, but the Tigers from Houston came back in the seventh inning to score eight runs to beat the Saints 16-8. The first of the nonconference doubleheader included 13 hits and five home runs by TSU, an NCAA, Division I team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In the second game, the Saints beat the Tigers 9-5, and improved their record to 22-10 for the year, while TSU dropped to 13-12.
Alyssa Posadas and Bianca Salinas had the game's first RBIs with Noel and Brooke Hernandez scoring. Melanie Gonzalez started at pitcher, and gave up a home run in the second inning to tie the score at two. During the third inning, Shannon Colquitt's home run drove in three runs, while the Saints' Hernandez scored one run to take the game to 5-3. Maria Flores scored on a hit by Kaitlyn Bourg during the fourth inning and the score was now 5-4 in favor of the Lady Tigers. In the fifth inning, TSU's Colquitt hit her second home run and drove in two runs, while the Saints' Noel knocked her grand slam to drive in four runs, taking the score to 8-7 in favor of the Saints. Tenesha Skrine slammed one over center field in the sixth inning to tie the score at 8. At the top of the seventh inning, the Tigers' Ariel Arrendondo hit a home run to drive in four runs. Giana Robinson and Jackie Valdarez both drove in a run, while Danielle Smith drove in two to score eight runs for the Tigers. The Saints were not able to score a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, ending the game 16-8. Dawn Villegas got the loss for the Saints, while TSU's Victoria Veyna secured the win.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kailyn Miller pitched the complete game, allowing seven hits, and striking out four, giving the Saints the 9-5 win.
Hernandez blasted one between right and center field in the first inning to give the Saints a quick 1-0 lead. The game remained at that through the fourth inning, when Arrendondo drove in one run. In the bottom of the fourth, Maria Flores, Megan Potts, Ashley Elizalde, Tiffany Stritz and Noel scored a run to increase the Saints lead to 6-1. Texas Southern came within a point in the sixth inning as they scored four runs, but the Saints prevailed, scoring three runs. Salinas scored two on her home run, while Hernandez scored one run to end the game at 9-5.
The Saints will travel to Fort Worth on Saturday to play a doubleheader against Texas Wesleyan University, and the two teams will play again at OLLU on April 9 at noon at 2 p.m. Those games will be dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness.