KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – Behind the solid pitching of senior Courtney Rigamonti (Victoria/St. Joseph’s HS), the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team got two wins against visiting Texas A&M International on Sunday at Hubert Field, 5-4 and 3-1.  (game 1, game 2)

In the first game of the twinbill, Rigamonti struggled with her control in the early going as the Dustdevils (0-2) jumped out to a 4-2 lead after three innings.  She found her rhythm midway through the game and retired 14 of the last 15 batters she faced. 

Meanwhile, the Javelinas (2-0) took advantage of a Dustdevil error in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the score.  With two outs and a runner on first base, freshman Kaycee Bryan (Splendora/Splendora HS) smacked a double to right-center that plated Ariel Lichtenberger (Alice/Alice HS).  Junior Cassie Anderson (Splendora/Splendora HS) followed with a single that scored the tying run.

In the fifth inning, senior Meisha Patterson (Dumas/Seward County CC) started the inning with a double and came home on freshman Christine Brumley’s (Waller/Waller HS) two-out, run-scoring double to give the Javs a 5-4 advantage.

Rigamonti picked up the win for the Javs allowing five hits, three earned runs and five walks while striking out five batters.  Anderson, Bryan and freshman Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS) each went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.  Brumley was credited with two runs batted in for the game.

The Dustdevils were led by Brianna Sanchez who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Samantha Carrillo knocked in a run and scored a run.  Victoria Beltran was tagged with the loss going 4.0 innings allowing six hits, three earned runs and two walks while striking out one batter.

In the second game, the Javelinas got two quick runs in the first inning when Rigamonti drove in two runners with a double to left field.  That would prove to be all the runs the Hoggies would need.

The Dustdevils put a run on the board in the top of the second inning.  A two-out single by Clarissa Salinas drove in Samantha Garcia from second base.  In the fourth inning, TAMIU nearly tied up the game, but a perfect throw by Kingsville outfielder Cassie Anderson gunned down Allison Stein at the plate.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Javelina starting pitcher Jessica Schneider (Flatonia/Schulenburg HS) helped her own cause with a single to lead off the inning.  She would eventually come around to score on Berlanga’s sacrifice fly.  Schneider was pulled after five innings allowing just four hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out one batter.

Rigamonti came on to pitch the final two innings and she slammed the door allowing just one hit while striking out two batters to earn the save.  She finished the day with a win, a save and a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

The Javelinas are back in action on Wednesday against #3 St. Edward’s in a double header starting at 3 o’clock.
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