HOUSTON, Texas – A late-inning rally by host Houston Christian handed Lafayette a 6-3 loss on Saturday evening at Husky Field.
 
The teams traded runs in the second inning, the Leopards scoring on a throwing error and Houston Christian plating a run via Chloe Phe's RBI-single for the 1-1 score.  
 
The Leopards took the lead in the fourth inning when Sabina Lehnert rifled a singled through the left side of the infield to score Regan Dillon.
 
The hosts took the lead in the fifth frame. Karlie Barba delivered a single that scored a runner from second. A pitching change brought in Sophia Alvarez-Backus to replace starter Marisa Powell. She walked the next two batters, with the second free pass plating the go-ahead run. The inning ended with a ground out and a 3-2 Houston Christian lead.
 
The Lafayette offense continued to put pressure on the Husky defense and it paid off in the fifth. Rookie Ava Butler put the ball in play to third base and the defense tried to get the force out at second. The throw went wide, allowing Dillon to score all the way from first and tie the game at 3-3.
 
Chloe Foster gave the Huskies the lead for good in the home half of the sixth, legging out a two-run triple to push them ahead 5-3. The hosts added one more run on a sac fly for a 6-3 advantage.
 
Alvarez-Backus took the loss, surrendering three runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning. Powell handled the bulk of the circle work, tossing 4.2 innings while giving up two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Cara Pitman went the distance for the Huskies, allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts.
 
Lafayette will finish off its opening weekend, facing Michigan at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday