KINGSVILLE, Texas – A game-winning single back up the middle from
Hayley Boyett in the second game Saturday afternoon gave the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team (7-8, 1-3 LSC) a 7-6 victory for their first Lone Star Conference win of the season. Texas A&M-Commerce (12-8, 1-1 LSC) came away with a 7-2 win in the first contest of the day at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field.
Rachael Longoria led the Javelinas at the plate with a 4-for-7 performance, two runs scored and a solo home run.
Valerie Ramirez and Boyett plated three and two runs, respectively.
Suffering the loss in the first contest was
Karri Smith (3-4) while
Bella Rosas (2-3) earned the win in game two. The Lions' Aundria Romero (7-3) recorded the decision in both contests for the Lions.
Game 1The Blue and Gold struck first in the first frame that began with Boyett drawing a walk. After stealing second, she was driven home on a RBI single by
Loren Donaldson.
Responding in the next half inning was TAMUC with four runs. Two of them came on a homer by Luci Ponce to right center.
Longoria led off the bottom of the second sending a 2-2 offering down the left field line for a solo shot. That would be the last run for the Javelinas as the Lion tacked on one in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Smith recorded a multi-hit game with two singles while Boyett went 1-for-1 with three walks.
In the circle, Smith tossed her seventh complete game of the season while allowing two runs on seven hits. She also struck out four but walked six.
Game 2On the first pitch of the game, Ponce tripled to right field. Cyanne Fernandez brought her home with a single to left field two batters later. The first frame ended when Ramirez knocked down a hard shot at her, stepped on first and threw the runner out heading towards second.
Longoria doubled to center field with an out in bottom of the first. Two batters later, TAMUC intentionally walked Donaldson to setup a force. Their plan backfired as back-to-back free passes were issued to tie the game.
Carlie Clark was credited with the game-tying RBI.
The Lions scored twice in the sixth with one coming in on a fielding error.
Two walks followed by a pinch-hit single from
Shyenne Hicks loaded the bases in the sixth. Smith came on as a pinch hitter and lined out to the pitcher, Romero. Her throw to try to double Ramirez off of third got by the third baseman, allowing the Javelinas to cut the deficit to 3-2.
In the top half of the seventh, TAMUC scored three insurance runs to increase their advantage to four.
Longoria started the bottom of the frame with a single to right field. After a fielder's choice, Donaldson ripped a double to left center to put two in scoring position with one gone. Ramirez then blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for a 3-run bomb.
Clark then followed with a single to right but was out on a fielder's choice hit
Isabel Flores. Next up was
Ariel Kellogg, who hit a dribbler back to the pitcher for an infield hit.
Stephanie Lugo then hit a grounder to the shortstop but the ball popped out of her glove when she tried to tag Flores to load the bases.
Boyett got into a 0-2 hole and managed to stay alive by fouling off the third offering. She then laced the next pitch back up the middle for the game-winning two RBI single.
At the dish, Longoria went 3-for-4 and scored once while Ramirez had three RBI and crossed the plate twice. Also recording a multi-base knock game was Clark with two that included her third double of the season.
Clark started the game and went 6.2 innings. She struck out eight while giving up six runs on 12 hits and two walks. Rosas got the last out for the Blue and Gold defensively with a strikeout.
The two teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon at Hubert Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 p.m.
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