CHICKASHA, Okla. – Lily LaVelle fueled Oklahoma City University's 3-0, 11-1 sweep of USAO on Thursday at Bill Smith Ballpark.
LaVelle, a junior from Bridge Creek, Okla., nailed two home runs and won both ends of the doubleheader. The Stars, ranked 10th in NAIA softball, improved to 19-6, 7-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
To take the first game, OCU scored all three runs in the fourth inning. LeeAnn Lopez led off the frame with a double to the left-center field gap, then advanced to third base on Chelsey Eddy's sacrifice bunt. Katie Proffitt brought Lopez home on an infield single. LaVelle followed with a home run to score Proffitt as well.
In the circle, LaVelle held USAO hitless until Elizabeth Agpalo doubled with one out in the fourth. Karmen Knowles singled in the fifth for USAO's other hit. Agpalo also walked to lead off the second, and Christina Wilson got on via an error in the third to account for all of USAO's base runners in the first game.
LaVelle, who improved to 10-4, fell one shy of her career best with 16 strikeouts. LaVelle struck out the side in the second, fourth and fifth innings. After Knowles' fifth-inning base hit, LaVelle set the final eight USAO batters down in order.
Lopez, a sophomore from Grand Prairie, Texas, went 3-for-4, while Proffitt, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., was 2-for-3. Kylee Rounsaville, a freshman from Yukon, Okla., had OCU's other hit.
In the second game, LaVelle (11-4) fanned five in three innings. She allowed one run on three hits before giving way to A.J. Woodward. Woodward, a junior from Menifee, Calif., struck out three and held USAO to one hit the final two innings.
OCU scored twice in the first off shortstop Ally Richardson's error. Rounsaville added an RBI single in the inning.
In the second, LaVelle hammered her seventh homer of the year. Nathalie Timmermans added another solo blast in the inning.
The Stars loaded the bases in the third and scored off Tori Joyner's infield hit. Timmermans pounded a grand slam for her sixth homer of the year and to give OCU a 10-1 advantage. Magean De La Torre added an RBI single in the fifth for the final margin.
Timmermans, a junior from Oldenzaal, Netherlands, went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and five driven in, while Brittany Caruthers, a sophomore from Waxahachie, Texas, went 3-for-4 with a run scored. De La Torre, a sophomore from Plano, Texas, was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Joyner, a sophomore from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-4, scored twice and had an RBI.
OCU faces Oklahoma Christian in a 5 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
