PINEVILLE – Louisiana College heads into American Southwest Conference East play this week after an impressive weekend at the annual East vs West First Pitch tournament. The Lady Cats went 4-0 at the annual early season event, extending their tournament win streak to 31 games with assistance from a pair of former local high school standouts.

Ranked No. 2 in the nation after eight straight wins to start the season. LC leads three of the seven teams in the ASC East that are ranked in the top 25 heading into conference play. In addition to the second ranked Cats, East Texas Baptist (9-1) is No. 4 and Texas-Tyler (10-2 after a 2-2 start) is No. 25. Then there is Mississippi College, which is 9-1 and probably could be ranked ahead of several teams currently in the poll.

The Lady Cats have played well from the start, claiming wins over ranked teams Christopher Newport (Va.) and Salisbury (Md.) in a season-opening tournament in Noth Carolina. In four wins against ASC West teams, LC banged out 38 hits to score 41 runs. The Lady Cats have also come from behind for two wins, something that hasn’t happened a lot in the past. LC never led against No. 9 Salisbury before scoring two runs in the 10th inning for a 3-2 victory for tha kept their early season record unblemished for a fourth win.

At the ASC tourny, the Lady Cats trailed Hardin-Simmons 5-2 after three innings before rallying for a 9-5 victory. A three run sixth inning tied the game at five and in the sixth Kelsey Brown (Notre Dame) doubled off the right centerfield wall to knock in the go ahead run. Another local, Devan Greene (Kaplan) also had an RBI single in the game to help the cause.

“I’ve been here 10 years, and I think that’s only the second time we’ve come back against a team from our conference like that,” LC assistant coach Rawlin Scully said. “After the game, I told the players that I am not easy to impress, but I was impressed with that effort.”

The former District 5-3A opponents both had big weekends as teammates for the Wildcats. Brown went 6-for-11 at the plate with a homer, two doubles and five runs bated in. Devan Greene was 4-for-8 with two RBIs. The local duo have starting every game this season in the Cats infield.

The Lady Cats are hitting .343 as a team and averaging over nine runs and eight hits a game.

LC has benefited from outstanding pitching in recent years and it again apears to be a team strength.

Senior All-American René Schwartzenburg is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA. Senior Kelly Williams, who battled back problems in the fall, is 4.0 with a 1.62 ERA, and freshman Kaylee Guidry threw a one-hitter over six innings in her first collegiate start.

Louisiana College was scheduled to open league play on the road this week and after twelve games on visiting turf, the Cats will open their home season Saturday by hosting rival Mississippi College at Wildcat field.