LAWTON - It took the final game of the regular season to determine it, but the East Central University softball team is headed to the postseason playoffs.

            ECU, behind three hits from the team's only senior Hillary Hughes and the four-hit pitching of junior right-hander Randee Crockett, rolled to a 7-1 victory over Cameron Saturday to salvage a Lone Star Conference North softball split and more importantly advance the Lady Tigers to next week's eight-team LSC Softball Championship Tournament in Durant.

            Cameron pulled to within a tie in the league standings in the first game of the twinbill by claiming a 7-3 win.

            ECU, ranked 10^th in the South Central Region, advances to the tournament with a 31-19 overall record and finished 10-12 in the LSC North. Cameron's season ended at 22-26 and 9-13.

            The Lady Tigers will likely face West Texas A&M at noon Thursday in the first round of the conference tournament in Durant. Win or lose, ECU will play again at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in the double-elimination format.

ECU 7, Cameron 1 (Game 2)

            Hughes was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate, including a big two-run double in the second inning, while Shelby Simmons and Emily Kennemer each collected a pair of hits for the Lady Tigers, who compiled 10 for the game.

            Simmons went 2-for-4 with a one-out solo-homer in the third inning and later smacked an RBI double in the midst of a four-run seventh inning which put the Aggies away. Kennemer was also 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the seventh.

            Crockett (14-3) pitched all seven innings and allowed the one earned run with no walks and three strikeouts.

            The Aggies' only run came off a one-out solo-shot by Drew Wright in the fifth inning.

            ECU jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the second when Desiree' Nordie led off with a single to right. Her sister Cassandra Nordie then reached first on an error, before a Kasey Barber sacrifice bunt advanced both of them one base and into scoring position.

            After a strikeout, Hughes came through with her two-run double as both runs scored unearned.

            Simmons' solo-blast made it 3-0 in the third before Cameron finally got on the board in the fifth on Wright's homer.

            The Lady Tigers caught a break in the sixth when Cameron's Micah Lierly hit an apparent one-out, two-run homer to tie it up at 3-all. But for some unknown reason, Lierly ran back toward home after touching the first-base bag which caused her to be called out as the Aggie runner was forced to return to second base. Crockett then got a fly-out for the third out, ending the inning.

            ECU then put the finishing touches on the win with the four-run, five-hit seventh, sparked by Hughes' leadoff single. Laura Loughmiller then executed a bunt-single as Hughes raced on to second. One out later, Simmons hit an RBI double to right scoring Hughes and making it 4-1.

            Kennemer followed with her two RBI double to score Loughmiller and Simmons. Then with two outs, Cassandra Nordie singled home Kennemer to make it 7-1.

            No Cameron player had more than one hit in the contest.

            The Aggies' Carrie Harvey (12-14) took the loss in working all seven innings and allowing five earned runs with one walk and four strikeouts.

Cameron 7, ECU 3 (Game 1)

            The Aggies got six of their nine hits from the top three players in the lineup in taking the first-game victory.

            Callie Schlatter's 3-for-4 effort with two runs batted in, sparked Cameron while Wright was 2-for-3, also with two RBIs, including a homer.

            Cameron starter Ashton McBride (10-11) got the win as she gave up only one earned run with three walks and a strikeout in 5.1 innings. She got relief help from Harvey, who went the rest of the way.

            Wanda Malone (13-11) was tagged with the loss after going 5.1 innings as she allowed five earned runs with four walks and six strikeouts. Courtney Gaines worked 0.2 innings in relief.

            Cameron scored a single run each in the second and third innings before the Lady Tigers tied it up in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs off no hits. Gaines brought home Desiree' Nordie with a fielder's choice RBI. Desiree' led off the inning by reaching on an error. Nicole Sanchez was later hit by a bases-loaded pitch to make it 2-2.

            However, Cameron scored twice in the bottom of the fourth. ECU did pull within 4-3 in the sixth when Cassandra Nordie singled to center with one out, advanced to third on Hughes' double and scored off Stefanie Watson's RBI single.

            However, Cameron struck for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pad the cushion at four and ultimately come away with the win.

ECU-Cameron Game 1 Boxscore

ECU-Cameron Game 2 Boxscore