DENTON, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team was one pitch away from a perfect Valentine’s Day at the Texas Woman’s University Tournament on Saturday.  The Javelinas (8-2) won their first game of the day, 9-1 against Southern Arkansas, but fell 3-2 against Pittsburg State on a PSU three-run home run.  (Game 1, Game 2)

In the first game, Southern Arkansas scored their lone run and had both of their hits in the first inning.  The Lady Muleriders held onto that lead until the fourth inning when the Javelina offense kicked into high gear.

The Javelinas scored three runs in the fourth inning and then plated six more in the fifth inning to win by 8-run rule.  Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS) led the Hoggies with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate that included an RBI.  Meisha Patterson (Dumas/Dumas HS) added a triple and two RBI’s while Melissa St. Clair (Garden City, KS/Seward County) scored two runs.  The team rapped out 10 hits in the game.  Courtney Rigamonti (Victoria/St. Joseph HS) picked up her seventh win of the season allowing just the one run and two hits.  Jessica Schneider pitched two shutout innings of relief.

In the second game, the Javelinas decided to go with Rigamonti in the circle again and she pitched brilliantly.  Unfortunately, she made one bad pitch and Lindsay Birchfield made her pay with a three-run first inning home run.  After the home run, Rigamonti retired 17 of the last 18 batters she faced.

The Javelinas scored a run in the top of the first inning when Christine Brumely drove in Cassie Anderson (Splendora/Splendora HS) with a two-out run-scoring single.  In the third inning, Kelli Sears pinch ran for Berlanga after she singled.  Sears stole second and eventually came around to score.  The Javs put runners in scoring position in the fifth and seventh innings, but could not score the tying run.  Anderson finished the game 3-for-3 with two stolen bases while Berlanga added two more hits.  Shaun Bryan (Splendora/Splendora HS) also went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Tiffany Swanson pitched the entire game for the Gorillas to earn the victory.  She scattered 10 hits and three walks while striking out four.  She limited the Javelinas to just 3-for-19 hitting with runners on base.

The Javelinas are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to University of the Incarnate Word for a doubleheader starting at 3 o’clock.
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