KINGSVILLE, Texas (Softball) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville softball team (18-18, 8-11 LSC) will have a week off from Lone Star Conference competition and will host #3 St. Mary's University (29-7, 8-1 Heartland Conference) and St. Edwards University (13-23, 6-3 Heartland Conference) in back-to-back doubleheaders on April 4-5 at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field.
Two losses at the hands of Cameron snaps the Hogs four-game winning streak, but the bats have continued to produce in large part to Victoria Schoonard-Saborio who ended the series against the Aggies with a 1.000 average. On the season, Schoonard-Saborio leads the club with a .425 batting average, 45 hits and ties Roxy Chapa (.355) with six home runs this season. Schoonard-Saborio has reached based in 14 consecutive games and leads with 13 multiple hit games—two in front of Chapa and Rachael Longoria (.370). Chapa has strung together a team-high eight multiple RBI games and Longoria is currently on a six-game hitting streak. Â
In the circle, Randa Hatter— who also has four home runs this season— has a team-low 3.84 ERA and is 5-5 in the circle this year. Breanna Smith has threw the most innings for the Javelinas this season (85.2) and ranks sixth in the LSC with 76 putouts. Smith also heads the pitching staff with six complete games, two shutouts and two saves. Carlie Clark (2-5) and Sarah Gilbert (4-2) round out the pitchers with ERAs of 4.39 and 5.25, respectively.
ABOUT THE RATTLERS
St. Mary's are still playing strong and have moved up five spots in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll. They have accumulated an 8-1 record since our last meeting with the one loss against Texas Woman's, 7-4. Since that loss, the Rattlers have won their last four games by a combined score of 54-5. StMU leads the Heartland Conference with a .318 batting average and sits second with a 2.55 ERA. Raynelle Nash paces the team and league with her .425 batting average and 48 hits, while adding 21 RBIs and a couple of dingers to her stat line. Jorden Russell (13-3) is the team's ace and has a 2.29 ERA in 104 innings pitched. Russell has thrown 11 complete games, four shutouts and 72 strikeouts this season.
After sweeping the Javelinas in San Antonio earlier this year, the Rattlers lead the all-time series 67-23 and are 26-12 at Hubert Field.Â
ABOUT THE HILLTOPPERSÂ
St. Edwards is coming off of a 2-1 series loss against Lubbock Christian and have struggled on the road this season with a 1-7 record. Kayla Appleby leads the Hilltoppers in the batter's box with a .311 average with a minimum of 90 at bats (106). She has a team-best 33 hits and 28 RBIs and leads the conference with ten doubles. Lauren Slatten heads a deep bullpen with 95 innings pitched and post a 6-8 record this season. Slatten has a 3.91 ERA and has recorded 11 complete games, one shutout and a Heartland-best 101 putouts.
TAMUK and SEUÂ split a twinbill about a month ago in the state's capital. The Hogs have the advantage in the all-time series 42-35 and have an impressive 22-10 record when playing in South Texas.
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