San Angelo – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team rallied, but fell just short losing 4-2 to Tarleton State in the second day of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
The Javelinas ended their season at 34-22. The team was making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in the 11-year history of the program.
Natalie Jones started and took the loss for the Javelinas to fall to 11-11.
Tarleton State’s Brook Saulters was one out away from a complete game, but earned the victory to improve to 23-10.
Both Morgan Seals and Nora Aguilar pitched in relief for the Javelinas with Aguilar hurling three shutout innings.
“We didn’t play as we liked to this weekend, but our team had a great year,” said Javelina head coach Jake Schumann. “We broke school records and they did amazing things. We have half the scholarships the other teams in this regional have and that’s a tribute to our kids work ethic and it’s a tribute to what they did for the university.”
Tarleton State jumped out to a 4-0 lead by scoring one in the third and three in fourth.
Aguilar came in and allowed only two hits over the final three innings to keep the Javelinas in the game.
Saulters pitched brilliantly over the first five innings, allowing only two hits, three base runners and only one runner reached as far as second base, that coming on a one-out double by Kristen Schumann (Corpus Christi Carroll) in the fifth.
The sixth inning proved to be crucial for the Javelinas as senior Sally Lozano (H.M. King) singled to center to start the inning and freshman Cassie Anderson (Splendora) followed with an infield single to give A&M-Kingsville runners at first and second with no outs.
Things fell apart as Lozano attempted to steal third with no outs and was thrown out. Joanna Dorado then singled to left. That hit would have scored Lozano, but Megan Hall grounded out and Aguilar struck out to end the threat.
“We had a bad base running mistake that costs us two runs,” said Schumann. “It’s a good example of one play in the ball game that can boost you up or take you down and it hurt us.”
The Javelinas didn’t roll over, rallying in their final at bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior catcher Julia Canales (H.M. King) singled to center to start the inning, Schumann lined to left and Ariel Lichtenburger (Alice) hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out.
But freshman Shaun Bryan (Splendora) induced a two-out walk to give Lozano a chance at redemption.
The senior came through with a triple to right center field to cut the lead to 4-2.
Tarleton State brought in left-handed pitcher Jessi Walter to face the left hand hitting Anderson and induced her into a ground out to end the game.
The Javelinas also had to play without first team all-conference and all-region pick and the team’s top hitter, Quesha Torres, who missed the game to return to Kingsville to receive her diploma in Friday night graduation ceremonies. Torres is the first person in her family to receive a college degree.
“Anytime you lose a first team all-region player it’s going to hurt. We had to change up our lineup and it changed our whole dynamic of how we want to play the game.”
The Javelinas lose four seniors off this year’s team and return their entire pitching staff for 2008.
