KINGSVILLE – The Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas split a doubleheader with the St. Mary’s Rattlers, dropping game one, 6-0, and winning the second game, 3-2, behind a 12-strikeout performance from pitcher Nora Aguilar.
The win in the second game gave head coach Jake Schumann his 100th career victory at A&M-Kingsville and also the second-most amount of wins for a Javelina softball coach.
The Javelina’s record now stands at 14-7 while the Rattlers are now 15-6.
In game one, Melissa Magee pitched a two-hit complete game shutout with seven strikeouts for St. Mary’s.
Natalie Jones took the loss for the Javelinas and fell to 6-4. She pitched three innings giving up five hits and four runs. She also gave up a walk and struck out two.
The Rattlers took a quick lead in the first inning with a two-out home run off the bat of Kelcy Walker.
St. Mary’s put their lead up to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the third. All three runs came with two outs in the inning. Walker started the rally with a RBI single that brought home Mary Pederson. Lindsay Barnes followed that up with a single of her own before Heather Monroe capped the three-run rally with a 2-RBI triple.
The Rattlers added a run in the sixth when Ashley Flores was caught stealing, but the play allowed Elizabeth Joyce to come home from third to make it 5-0.
St. Mary’s made it 6-0 in the seventh when Taryn Munoz came around to score on a stolen base and an error.
In game two, Aguilar pitched a complete giving up four hits and two runs. She recorded her 12 strikeouts while walking none. The win put her record up to 7-3.
Munoz was the losing pitcher for St. Mary’s to fall to 2-1. She gave up three hits and nine hits in three innings of work. She walked two and struck out one.
Joanna Dorado and Sally Lozano each had three hits for A&M-Kingsville to lead the Javelinas as they out-hit the Rattlers 11-4.
The Javelinas were the ones that struck early in game two, hitting four consecutive singles to take a 1-0 lead when Quesha Torres brought in Dorado.
A&M-Kingsville threatened to expand their lead in the third, loading the bases again but were unable to score and it stayed a one-run game.
The Rattlers took advantage of the runners left on base by the Javelinas and took the lead in the fourth. Sarah Cooper drove in Munoz to tie the game and the then go-ahead run came when a wild pitch allowed Pederson to came in and make it 2-1.
The Javelinas responded in the bottom of the inning and took the lead right back, starting the inning off with three straight hits. Lozano was able to come home on an error to tie the game. Just like the top of the inning, a wild pitch was what allowed the lead to change as a Cassie Anderson run put A&M-Kingsville back on top, 3-2.
The Javelinas will host a doubleheader against the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs on Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
