KINGSVILLE, Texas – Single runs in the seventh and eighth innings allowed the Tarleton State TexAnns to hand the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team a heartbreaking, 3-2 loss on Saturday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader at Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas. The TexAnns took game two as well, 9-4.
The Javelinas' overall record drops to 16-14 with these two defeats and their Lone Star Conference record is now 7-8. Tarleton State leaves Kingsville at 23-7 and 9-6 in the league.
Junior Rachael Longoria (Hutto, Texas) and junior Lauren Oatman (Fort Worth, Texas) each picked up three hits over the course of the day, with Oatman driving in a run in game one. Junior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) was responsible for knocking in three of TAMUK's four runs in game two.
GAME ONE
The Javelina offense quickly went to work against starter Megan Roswell (6-0). After a one out error put junior Victoria Schoonard-Saborio (Elk Grove, Calif.) on first, freshman Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) singled and both runners executed a double steal. When TSU's catcher threw the ball away, Schoonard-Saborio trotted home for a 1-0 advantage. Oatman's subsequent base hit put the Javs up by two.
Through three innings, the TexAnns managed just one hit against sophomore Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) (10-7), but they made their first dent in Kingsville's lead in the fourth. A walk and an error put two runners on and Karli Herron plated Tarleton's first tally with a single to left-center. The Javelinas still managed to escape that inning with the lead, but it would only last until the seventh.
Herron reached on a single with one out before Smith recorded out No. 2. A walk to Destiny Crumpley followed and Georgia Capell drove in the game-tying run with a safety into left-center. One inning later, a sacrifice fly by Tanna Huie brought in what proved to be the game-winning run.
GAME TWO
The second contest proved to be a much different story, with an early rally providing Tarleton State with a lead they'd never relinquish.
The game began with a single by Capell, who gave her team a 1-0 edge two batters later by racing home on a Nyka Wood double. One inning later, the TexAnns put together a rally that provided them with a commanding lead.
Elizabeth Svienty and Maddie Quintanar lit the spark with singles and Capell sent in the first run with another hit. A fourth straight single, this one by Meghann Wrinkle loaded the bases before Wood came up with a fifth consecutive one-bagger to pick up an RBI. Megan Durante then provided the first of two two-run doubles Tarleton smacked in the inning and it knocked Smith (10-8) out of the game. Two hitters later, another two-RBI double, this one by Marisa Flores, increased TSU's lead to 7-0.
A Javelina comeback attempt against Jordan Withrow (13-4) started in the third, as a double, hit batter and walk put three runners on for Chapa. The junior cleared the bases with a double and closed her team's deficit to four. That margin was cut even further in the fourth thanks to a pair of singles and a groundout that scored junior Arabella Acosta-Cantu (Corpus Christi, Texas).
The Tarleton offense came back to life in the sixth with two more runs that put the game out of reach. With two outs, a Wood double and a Durante single put up one run and Flores drove in a second with her third hit of the day, closing out the scoring.
On Monday, TAMUK will play two more, these with Oklahoma Christian University. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. 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.
