KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team picked up their first Lone Star Conference victory of the season on Friday night against visiting #19 West Texas A&M. The Javelinas won the first game of the doubleheader, 5-2 and dropped the second game, 8-2 at Hubert Field.
In the first game, the Javelinas (12-16, 1-7) pounded out 13 hits and led from start to finish. They took advantage of two first inning errors and a two-out, run-scoring single by Lindsey Brown (Spring/Spring HS) to take an early lead. Brown put them on the board again in the third inning with a run-scoring double. The Hoggies would take a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning when Ali Bodnar (Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley HS) smacked a two-run homer.
The Lady Buffs (18-8, 4-4) finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning. Brown loaded the bases with two outs with a walk. Kim LeComte singled to score the first run and then Brown walked in a run before retiring the side.
The Javs added an insurance run in the sixth inning on a single by Kaylee Villanueva (Corpus Christi/Moody HS). Brown retired the final seven batters of the game to earn her ninth victory of the season Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit for the Javs while Villanueva, Brown, Roxanne Rodriguez (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS) and Kodie Garner (Garland/Garland HS) each had two hits.
Amber Spencer pitched a complete game for the Lady Buffs and was tagged with the loss.
The second game was all Lady Buffs as they scored four times in the first inning, twice in the second and two more times in the third and it easily could have been more runs as they left six runners on base through the first three innings.
The Javelinas scored a run in the second and fourth inning, but could never mount a sustained rally to get back in the game. Garner had both RBI’s for the team with one coming on a base-loaded walk and the other on a two-out single. Both times she brought in Brown.
Renee Erwin led West Texas A&M going 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs, four RBI’s, a home run, two doubles and a hit by pitch. Robbie Dailey and LeComte each had two hits and scored two runs. Marci Womack improved to 9-4 on the season with a complete game victory after allowing four hits and four walks while striking out eight.
Denise Arnold (Katy/Katy HS) was handed the loss after giving up six runs in 1.1 innings. Lauren Denney (Alvin/Alvin HS) pitched solidly in relief scattering seven hits and three walks over the final 5.2 while giving up only two runs.
The two teams will finish their three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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