Sam Houston softball team started its season on Friday with the sixth consecutive Bearkat Classic. The Bearkats split two games that were on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Game One vs. South Dakota 

The Bearkats got off to a hot start with a six-run first inning and never let South Dakota get close. They added three runs in the second and a third inning, with Catcher Bella Perez sending a two-run blast past the left field fence. SHSU won 11-2 in a game that ended in the top of the fifth via “run-rule.”

Game Two vs. Creighton 

This game was far closer early on. The Bearkats held the early 1-0 advantage after the third inning, when third basemen Tricia Yarotsky hit an RBI single to take the lead. The game then became a defensive test, with a rough sixth inning dooming the Bearkats. Creighton piled on seven runs amid a series of errors and pitching changes, creating an insurmountable deficit for SHSU, which lost 7-1.

The Bearkats will play again Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Creighton and 6:30 p.m. against South Dakota.