MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The pitching of sophomore Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Sarah Gilbert (Chipley, Fla.) kept the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team in both games against No. 7 Southern Arkansas on Monday at Dawson Field in Mangolia, Ark., but the Javelinas were stopped in both contests, losing 3-1 and 1-0.
Junior Arabella Acosta-Cantu (Corpus Christi, Texas), freshman Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) and senior Haley Boyett (Waco, Texas) picked up hits in both games. Freshman Loren Kelly posted a single in game one, but failed to reach base in game two, ending her hitting streak after 17 games.
GAME ONE
The Lady Muleriders didn't waste any time grabbing the early lead on Brooke Goad's 14th homer of the season, a solo shot that made the score 1-0, but the Javs quickly responded. Leibas singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on a groundout. A clutch base hit from Boyett followed, tying the game at 1-1.
Smith settled down after the first inning, throwing three consecutive scoreless frames, including a third inning where she struck out the side. Smith finished the day with nine strikeouts to her credit, her second-highest total of the season.
The runs that proved to be the difference in the game came during a rally in the sixth inning, which Goad started by driving a double into the right field corner. After a single and a groundout put runners on second and third, Smith (9-6) struck out Marina Duran for the second out of the frame, but Faith Otts's two-out hit tallied both baserunners for a 3-1 lead.
Victoria Taylor (8-0) earned the win by silencing TAMUK's offense after the second inning. She gave up five hits and didn't walk anybody while throwing a complete game.
GAME TWO
The second game in Magnolia pitted Gilbert (5-4) against fellow righty Brooke Ford-Nelson (6-2) and the two of them put on a pitching clinic. Gilbert and Ford-Nelson combined to scatter 11 hits and neither player walked a batter through the first seven innings. Gilbert totaled three strikeouts, while Ford-Nelson struck out six.
Scoring chances were few and far between for both offenses, but neither could break through in regulation. Hits by Goad and Monica Islava in the first inning put runners on second and third with one out, but a strikeout and a lineout allowed TAMUK to escape unscathed. In the top of the seventh, Acosta-Cantu and junior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) led-off with singles and were bunted into scoring position, but Acosta-Cantu was cut down at the plate on a ground ball and Chapa stranded at third when a lineout ended the inning.
The game-winning rally in eighth started with consecutive walks to Rachel Miller and Goad. Islava loaded the bases with a single before Jill Roye hit a line drive to right that just got over the glove of junior Lauren Oatman (Fort Worth, Texas) for a walk-off hit.
The Arkansas-Monticello Bison are up next on TAMUK's schedule and they'll host the Javelinas for a doubleheader on Tuesday. To keep up with the Javelinas all season long, visit Javelinaathletics.com, follow @TAMUKSB on Twitter, like /JavelinaSports on Facebook and subscribe to the Javelina athletics YouTube channel.
