STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS – Heading into Sunday’s doubleheader both Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tarleton State needed to win two of three games in the series to advance to the Lone Star Conference Softball Tournament. Sunday did not decide anything as the TexAnns won the first game, 4-3 and the Javelinas won the second game, 11-0 setting up a final showdown on Monday at 11 o’clock.  (Game 1, Game 2)

In the first game, the Javelinas (22-22, 8-9) jumped out to the early lead, but could not hold onto it. In the first inning, Ariel Lichtenberger (Alice/Alice HS) singled with two outs and then Lindsey Brown (Spring/Spring HS) drove her in with a double. They added two more runs in the third as they took advantage of a pair of TexAnn errors.

The TexAnns (22-25, 7-9) responded in the fourth inning. Arianna Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to put the team on the board. TSU was then able to take advantage of a hit by pitch, error and passed ball to score two more unearned runs to take a 4-3 lead.

Over the final three innings, the Javelinas left runners on base in scoring position without scoring. They left the bases loaded in the fifth, runners on first and second in the sixth and a runner on second in the seventh.

Brown finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI, but was dealt the loss in the circle. She allowed six hits, two earned runs and one walk while striking out three in 6.0 innings. Kaycee Bryan (Splendora/Splendora HS) and Lichtenberger each had two hits in the game.

Julie Norris picked up the win for the TexAnns as she scattered nine hits over seven innings. She allowed just one earned run and two walks while striking out seven.

The second game was all Javelinas as they scored five runs in the first inning and cruised to the 11-0 win. Freshman Amanda Arriaga (Kingsville/H.M. King HS) hit a three-run homer in the first inning and tossed a shutout allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out three.

The Javelinas added three more runs in the second inning on a three-run homer by Brown. In the fifth, Melissa St. Clair (Garden City, KS/Garden City HS) drove in a run with a double and Dalia Marroquin (Brownsville/Porter HS) drove in another with a triple.

The Javelinas pounded out 15 hits in the game. Bryan went 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Brown and Arriaga each had a pair of hits and drove in three runs. Cassie Anderson (Splendora/Splendora HS) and Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS) each had two hits in the game.

The two teams will meet on Monday to decide who will advance to the conference tournament.
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