HOUSTON – Nationally-ranked Texas Lutheran concluded a three-game sweep of the University of St. Thomas softball team Saturday with a doubleheader split.

The visiting Bulldogs (29-4, 15-0 SCAC) are ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25 poll from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. They won Saturday's opener 7-0 and took game two by a score of 15-7.

The opening game saw TLU jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. UST's Grace Torres and Taylor Le knocked back-to-back singles in the second inning but were stranded in scoring position.

Sydney Ouellette pitched a two-hit shutout for TLU, while Mallarie Munson took the loss for the Celts (18-11, 10-5 SCAC). TLU added three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

The UST bats came alive in the second game of the twinbill as the Celts pounded out 13 hits while scoring seven runs. However, the host Celts were playing from behind at the onset, as TLU jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Addison Lehew went 3-for-4 with a two-RBI double for the Celts while Jaelyn Simmons went 3-for-5, which included a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning.

The only other team to score that many runs against the Bulldogs in a sgle game this season was DePauw (Ind.), in a game the TLU lost 13-9.

With UST's losses to TLU this weekend, Trinity (Texas) climbed into second place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings after sweeping Austin College. The Celts' next series is at Trinity, winner of seven straight games, in San Antonio this weekend.

First pitch in Friday's doubleheader between Tigers and Celts is scheduled for 1 p.m.