Huntsville -- Sophomore pitcher Shelby Lancaster threw her first no-hitter as a Bearkat and senior Tomi Garrison limited Southeastern Louisiana to four hits as Sam Houston shut out the Lions twice 3-0 and 1-0 in a Southland Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
Bearkat pitchers have now compiled four shutouts in a row including a doubleheader sweep at Prairie View A&M Wednesday. Sam Houston stands 22-17 for the year and 10-4 in Southland play. The Kats, who have not given up a run 26 consecutive innings, have won 21 of their last 25 games.
Right-hander Tomi Garrison posted her fourth shutout of the season in the opening game, giving up four hits, walking one and striking out seven of the 26 batters she faced. The victory evened Garrison at 8-8 for the season in the circle.
Catcher Ashley Isbell’s fourth home run of the season gave the Bearkats a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. An RBI double by right fielder Erin Burford scored Isbell in the fourth inning after the catcher’s one-out single.
Left fielder Calli Wood, Burford and second baseman Allyssa Coggins hit three consecutive singles with two outs in the bottom of the sixth as Coggins’ RBI made the score 3-0.
The Bearkats totaled 11 hits in the first game. Kenna Terry (8-8) was the losing pitcher for the Lions.
After five-and-a-half scoreless innings, shortstop Sarah Allison hit a sacrifice fly to score Burford after the Bearkats had loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a single by pinch hitter Kim Damian.
Lancaster (9-6) struck out two batters and gave up no walks as she faced 23 Lion batters. Her no hitter for the first for a Sam Houston pitcher since Garrison threw a no-hitter as a sophomore in 2010 against Texas Southern.
Vicki Honeycutt (4-4) took the loss for Southeastern Louisiana.
Sam Houston State returns to action Tuesday at 2 p.m. in another Southland doubleheader as the Bearkats play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.