KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team lost a pair of games to Lone Star Conference South Division rival Tarleton State on Friday at Hubert Field, 2-1 and 11-5.  (Game 1, Game 2)

In the first game, Javelina (17-15, 0-5) pitcher Amanda Arriaga (Kingsville/H.M. King HS) dueled with Samantha Swanda. Each gave up a first run inning before settling down. Arriaga retired 17 consecutive batters at one point while Swanda was racking up the strikeouts and would finish with 13 in the game.

The Javelinas had a runner on third base with no outs in two separate innings, but were unable to score either time. They would live to regret the inability to score.

The TexAnns (14-8-1, 4-1) were finally able to come up with a run in the top of the eighth inning. The only error of the game allowed TSU to load the bases with one out and then Swanda hit a chopper through the left side to drive in the game winning run.

Arriaga allowed five hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out three in the loss. Swanda allowed four hits, one run and seven walks while striking out 13 batters.

In the second game, the Javelinas jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI double from Lindsey Brown (Spring/Spring HS) and a run-scoring single by Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS).

The lead remained until the top of the fourth inning when Arriaga began to tire. An error prolonged the inning and with two outs Brittany Dumas smacked a three-run homer for the TexAnns. The Javelinas tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, but left the bases loaded.

Tarleton reclaimed the lead in the fifth with a couple of runs and then exploded for six runs in the seventh inning to put the game away.

Swanda finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI’s and two runs scored while Katie Welborn was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI’s. Alexandria Orf added a pair of doubles and an RBI. The TexAnns finished the game with 12 hits.

The Javelinas matched TSU with 12 hits of their own, but could not match their run total. Roxanne Rodriguez (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS) went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored. Brown finished with two hits and two runs while Taylor Munguia (Houston/Cy-Ridge HS) and Rose Stubbs (Garland/Garland HS) also had two hits apiece.

Randi Fentress picked up the win for the TexAnns. She pitched 3.2 innings in relief allowing five hits and two runs while striking out three.

The two teams will meet on Saturday at noon for the final game of the series.
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