SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – Despite two outstanding pitching performances from Amanda Arriaga (Kingsville/H.M. King HS), the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team was dealt a pair of 2-0 losses on Saturday at the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament at Texas Bank Sports Complex.  (Game 1, Game 2)

In both games, the sixth inning proved to be the undoing of the Javelinas (22-18). In the first game, #3 Midwestern State scored both of their runs in the sixth and then Southeastern Oklahoma did the same thing in the second game.

Against the third-ranked Mustangs (33-3), the Hoggies nearly scored in the top of the first inning, but stranded a runner at third base. After that, MSU pitcher Kristina Gutierrez shut down the Hoggies retiring the next 20 batters.

Arriaga matched Gutierrez zero for zero until the sixth. A leadoff double and back-to-back bunt singles scored one run for the Mustangs and then Kym Jerrick drove in the insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

In the top of the seventh the Javelinas were down to their last strike when Arriaga singled into centerfield to break up the no-hitter. Yvette Berlanga (San Antonio/O’Connor HS) followed with another single and suddenly the tying run was on base. On the first pitch she saw, Taylor Munguia (Houston/Cy-Ridge HS) ripped a line drive down the leftfield line that would have likely tied up the game, but it landed just one foot wide for a foul ball. Gutierrez recovered and struck out Munguia for her 14th strikeout of the game and preserved the win.

Arriaga allowed six hits and did not walk a batter while striking out six in the loss.

In the second game, the Javelinas put runners in scoring position in the second and third innings on doubles by Ali Bodnar (Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley HS) and Roxanne Rodriguez (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS), but could not get a scoring hit.

Audra Rhudy came on in relief in the fourth inning for the Savage Storm (27-16) in the fourth inning and retired 12-of-13 batters to pick up the win.

Arriaga started the game for the Javelinas after tossing only 67 pitches against Midwestern. She kept the Storm off-balance and off the scoreboard until the sixth inning. A leadoff walk turned into a run when Sam Vrska doubled in Lindsay Lacy. Vrska would later score on a suicide squeeze bunt by Jennifer Morales.

The Javelinas will look to get back on the winning track on Sunday morning at 10:30 against Central Oklahoma.
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