KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team will go into the Lone Star Conference Playoffs this weekend on a positive note after sweeping a doubleheader from University of the Incarnate Word on Senior Day at Hubert Field on Tuesday, 7-1 and 5-2. (Game 1, Game 2)
Javelina (31-20) senior pitcher Courtney Rigamonti (Victoria/St. Joseph HS) added on to her already lofty statistics this season by shutting down the Cardinals (24-29) in the first game and then she closed out the second game. In the first game, Rigamonti allowed just two hits and walked a batter while allowing a lone unearned run. She struck out seven en route to picking up her Lone Star Conference leading 26th victory of the season. In the second game, she pitched two perfect innings to close out the game and earn her fourth save of the season.
In the first game, the Javelina offense started rolling in the second inning. Shaun Bryan (Splendora/Splendora HS) started the inning with a double and then the team took advantage of a couple of Cardinal errors to score four runs. In the third inning, the Hoggies tacked on two more runs thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles by Melissa St. Clair (Garden City, KS/Garden City HS) and Dalia Marroquin (Brownsville/Clarendon CC). The team scored one more run in the fourth inning when senior Meisha Patterson (Dumas/Dumas HS) singled, stole second base and scored on Ariel Lichtenberger’s (Alice/Alice HS) double.
In the second game, the Cardinals scored first when Chelsea Muskopf led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Carraman.
The Javelinas responded quickly by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Cassie Anderson (Splendora/Splendora HS) singled, Patterson doubled and then Lichtenberger tripled in two runs. Lichtenberger would later score on an Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS) double.
Muskopf and Carraman would team up in the third inning to pull the Cards to within 3-2. First, Muskopf singled with one out, Caroline Flores followed with a bunt single and then Carraman singled in a run. Hoggie pitcher Jessica Schneider (Schulenburg/Flatonia HS) got out of the jam by getting the next two batters out.
The Javs added their final two runs in the fourth inning when Anderson and Patterson each hit an RBI triple. Anderson finished the game 3-for-3 and raised her season batting average to .448.
The Javelina relief corp of Cassandra Hernandez (Harlingen/South HS) and Rigamonti shut down the Cards over the final four innings. Hernandez allowed two hits in 2.0 shutout innings. Schneider earned her fourth win of the season after allowing four hits and one earned run in 3.0 innings.
Muskopf and Flores each had two hits for the Cardinals while Carraman drove in both of the team’s runs. Lea Padilla was tagged with the loss after allowing 10 hits and five runs in 5.0 innings of work.
Rigamonti, Patterson and Jasmine Ross (Camilla, GA/Camilla HS) each played their final home game for the Javelinas.
The Javs now advance to the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Durant, Oklahoma where they will play #5 Southeastern Oklahoma in a first round game on Friday at 2:30.
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