KINGSVILLE, Texas (Softball) – Three hits from
Corinne Brassell led Texas A&M Kingsville (14-22-1, 5-14-1 LSC) Saturday night at Hubert Field against Lone Star Conference foe Texas Woman's (20-18-2, 12-6-2 LSC). Game one ended 10-2 in six innings in favor of the Pioneers. The second contest ended in a 1-1 tie when heavy rain arrived in the area.
The tie was the second ever in program history for the Javelinas. The only other time came on March 17, 2006 in Denton, Texas against TWU.
Haley Boyett,
Rachael Longoria, and
Valerie Ramirez all finished the day with two hits. Both Longoria and Ramirez had a RBI apiece.
Getting tagged with the loss in the first game was
Karri Smith (5-12). The Pioneers' Bailee Wortham (6-3) was credited with the win coming out of the bullpen. Neither
Bella Rosas nor Wortham got a decision in the night cap.
Game 1The Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on a home run by Kendra Sancet.
Boyett started the Javelinas off with a single back up the middle to the right of the second baseman. After she stole second, Longoria popped a bunt up over the heads of the charging infielders for another single. Two pitches later Ramirez hit a deep fly to left that tied the game.
With one out in the next inning,
Ariana Munoz was issued a free pass and Brassell hit a bloop single to right.
Jaeleen Castro followed by drawing another walk to load the bases. Two batters later, Longoria battled with Bice for the third free pass of the inning to put the Blue and Gold up 2-1.
Sancet singled to right to plate two the following half inning to put TWU back in front. The visitors scored two more runs in the fourth and once in the fifth to increase their advantage to four.
Four Pioneers came around to score in the top of the sixth for the final runs of the contest.
Brassell was 3-for-3, all singles, at the dish to pace the Blue and Gold. Also recording a base knock were Boyett, Longoria and Ramirez.
Smith threw all six innings with a strikeout but gave up 10 runs on 15 hits.
Tealey Farquhar and Tylia Sylestine both had a game-high three hits for TWU. Laura Mabary, Sarah Wittenburg and Sancet all recorded a mutli-hit game. Along with Sancet's three RBI, two came courtesy of Sylestine.
Starting her third straight game in the series was Tori Bice. She lasted two innings, allowing four hits and two runs before being pulled. In her place, Wortham pitched four shutout innings with two strikeouts and gave up two base knocks.
Game 2The Pioneers were about to score multiple runs their first time at bat. However, Castro threw a runner out at home to end their hopes.
Back-to-back singles from Longoria and Ramirez was followed by
Isabel Flores getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brassell got a hold of a 1-1 offering but the left fielder made an over the shoulder catch to end the Javelinas' threat.
In the top of the second, TWU loaded the bases but managed to score just one run. The frame ended in a rundown at the plate following a single to left field. Castro gunned the ball home to Longoria, who threw it to Ramirez, then back to Longoria, back to Ramirez and finally to Donaldson for the out at home.
A walk to
Stephanie Lugo began the bottom of the frame. Castro then laid down a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher who threw it past the first baseman allowing Lugo to move to third. However, Castro was tagged out after making a slight move to second.
Next up was
Ariel Kellogg, who laid down a bunt that was fielded by Alexis Elizondo. Kellogg's speed forced an early throw to first where no one was covering. This allowed Lugo to jog home to tie the game 1-1.
The best chance for TAMUK to score the rest of the game came in the fourth. Kellogg reached base on a fielder's choice and moved up to second following Boyett's single. On the next pitch, Longoria hit a hard shot to shortstop and the ball deflected away when it hit off of Kellogg to end the frame.
Ramirez finished 2-for-3 at the plate while Boyett, Castro and Longoria had a hit apiece.
Rosas struck out one and surrendered a run on six hits as she went the distance.
Six Pioneers had a base knock with Alexis Elizondo scoring the team's only run. Wortham tossed a complete game, allowing five hits and a run.
Eight consecutive road games are on tap for the Blue and Gold beginning Tuesday at Texas A&M International at 1 p.m.
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