KINGSVILLE, Texas (Softball) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville (22-21, 11-11 LSC) 2017 record is back over .500 after handling Eastern New Mexico University (18-33, 10-17 LSC) in today's doubleheader 14-3 and 3-0 to sweep the series and extend its all-time series win streak to 11 games on Friday at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field.

The Javelinas picked up from where they left off as they batted .412 as a unit and held the Greyhounds bats to .261 in the doubleheader. Victoria Schoonard-Saborio continues her amazing season with a .571 batting average and led the team with four hits including a home run in the first game, two stolen bases, tied Racheal Longoria (.400) with three runs scored and joined the ranks with Lauren Oatman (.500) and Alexei Gonzalez (.333) with three ribbies in the two games played today. Roxy Chapa also had a day as she was .500 in the batters box and registered a .571 on-base percentage while Haley Boyett hit .429, scored twice and drove in one batter. 

Although the Hogs can heat up offensively, they showed their defensive hearts in this series with two shutout victories. After Carlie Clark opened the series with a no-hitter, Sarah Gilbert threw a complete game where she struck out four batters in five innings and Breanna Smith tossed a shutout in the second game, holding the opposing team batters to a .174 average.

Game 1
The bats were still hot from last night as the Hogs batted nearly two rounds in the first inning. TAMUK scored 12 runs on ten hits, led by Schoonard-Saborio and Gonzalez who each had three RBIs. 

In the third frame, the Hounds got on the board for the first and only time of the series after back-to-back RBI doubles from Audrey Velasquez and Erikka Burke. Velasquez also crossed home plate on a fielding error to end the inning down 12-3 but served only as a moral victory as the Javelinas added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to two RBI singles from Chapa and Oatman.

Gilbert finished her day of work in the circle in the top of the fifth inning and improved her record to 6-2 after she threw her third complete game of the season. The right handed pitcher put out four batters and permitted just two free passes in five innings. The junior also batted 2-for-3 at the dish and drove in one run. Boyett, Schoonard-Saborio and Chapa also had two hits, while Oatman paced the club with three. 

Katie Ripple (0-1) picked up the loss for the Greyhounds after a dreadful first inning where she earned seven runs with just one out on the board. Kiana Zerr accounted for the other five runs from the first inning and Kaylee Rogers earned the final two. The bullpen combined for zero strikeouts in the first game of the twin bill.

Game 2
Boyett started the second inning of game two with a leadoff double to left center field, stole third and trotted home due to a throwing error from ENMU. An inning later, Chapa juiced the bags with a single to center field and Oatman walked in a run to push the lead to 2-0 through three frames. 

After two innings with no runs scored, Lindsey Angelico reached on another throwing error and advanced to second on a groundout from Smith. Longoria then singled through the left side to cross Angelico for an unearned run and gave the Hogs a 3-0 lead. 

Smith put the exclamation point on the sweep after striking out two of the final three batters to capture the shutout victory— her third of the year. Smith tallied five Ks and walked just one batter in seven innings. Rogers (14-17) was awarded her second loss of the series in a three-strikeout performance in six innings pitched.

Texas A&M-Kingsville will look ahead to a big test against the currently ranked #6 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs in Canyon, Texas. The fun begins on April 21 at 7 p.m. and concludes with a doubleheader the following day starting at 2 p.m.

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