KINGSVILLE, Texas (Softball) – On Senior Day at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field Sunday afternoon, Texas A&M-Kingsville (17-27-1, 8-19-1 LSC) ended their season with a doubleheader split over Midwestern State (24-24, 11-17 LSC). Game one went in the Javelinas favor 9-4 and the Mustangs took the season finale 8-4.
Prior and the first contest a short ceremony was held to honor
Jaeleen Castro,
Ariel Kellogg and
Valerie Ramirez contributions to the TAMUK softball program while a longer ceremony was held after the twinbill.
Loren Donaldson went 5-for-8 with a home run, a steal, four RBI and three runs to pace the Blue and Gold at the plate. Both
Haley Boyett and
Corinne Brassell recorded three hits apiece while Ramirez came around to score thrice.
Picking up the victory in the first contest was
Karri Smith (8-15) while
Carlie Clark (5-5) was tagged with the loss in the finale. MSU's Tayler Jerrick (7-7) earned the win with a complete game effort and Erin Knox (8-8) suffered the defeat.
Game 1The Mustangs scored first in the first half inning of the contest on a single back up the middle by Kelley Schaefer.
Boyett started the Blue and Gold off at the plate with a leadoff double. However, Knox got the next three batters out to end the threat.
Smith drew a walk and
Isabel Flores followed with a single that fell just fair down the left field line with an out in the second. Two batters later, Kellogg beat out a dribbler to third for an infield single to load the bases. For the second straight frame Knox escaped a jam, this time with a strikeout.
MSU got runners on the corners with no one gone in the top of the third. Katelyn Vinison popped up her bunt attempt to Smith, who was able to double off the runner at first. For the second time today, Schaefer came through with a RBI single to put the visitors up 2-0.
In the bottom of the frame, Donaldson drove a 1-0 pitch over the fence but it was foul. Two pitches later she got a hold of another offering that went over the fence, this time in fair territory, for a solo home run to left and cut the deficit in half.
Smith started the fourth by singling through the left side and
Ariana Munoz came on to pinch run for her. Back-to-back singles from Flores and
Corinne Brassell juiced the bases with no outs. Boyett then hit a grounder to the pulled in second baseman but her throw home was high, forcing the catcher to jump for it. This allowed Flores to slide in safely to tie the score 2-2.
MSU responded with two the next half inning to go back up by two.
A flare to center started the Blue and Gold's half of the fifth from Donaldson and a wild pitch allowed her move into scoring position. After Castro's hit put runners on the corners, Smith helped her own cause with a RBI single to left.
Flores produced a productive ground out as both base runners moved into scoring position. Brassell laid down a perfect bunt back to the pitcher for an infield single to bring home the game tying run.
Boyett ripped her second double of the game to drive in two and put TAMUK in the lead. A single to center off the bat of Longoria to plate the fifth run of the frame. Following a double by Ramirez, Donaldson ripped the first pitch she saw for a two RBI single to give the Javelinas a 9-4 advantage.
Leading the Blue and Gold at the plate with three hits, three RBI and two runs was Donaldson. Also recording a multi-hit game was Boyett, Brassell, Flores and Smith.
Smith pitched her 21st complete game, tied for the ninth most in school history for a season. She struck out three while giving up eight hits and four runs.
Game 2Like the first contest, the Mustangs struck first with a run in the first.
TAMUK responded with two in the bottom half of the frame. Castro drove in one on a single. On the same play, Donaldson also scored when the throw from the centerfielder was way off the mark at the plate.
The visitors answered back with four runs in the top of the second to go up 5-2.
Brassell singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Kellogg grounded out to advance her to third, a wild pitch allowed Brassell to score the third run of the game for the Blue and Gold in the next half inning.
Knox provided an RBi single to left to put MSU back ahead by three in the top of the third.
With one gone in the bottom of the frame, Ramirez hit a blooper that fell inside the right foul line for a base knock. She stole second and came around to score on Donaldson's double to left center making it 6-4 in favor of the Mustangs.
A two-run homer from Vinson increased MSU's lead to four after five and a half.
Donaldson had a team-high two base knocks. Ramirez closed her career by scoring twice and recording a hit.
In the circle, Clark threw 5.1 innings with two strikeouts but gave up eight runs on 10 hits.
Bella Rosas did not give up a run over the final 1.2 innings in relief while getting a strikeout.
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