KINGSVILLE, Texas – After snapping a four-game skid with a 3-1 win over Central Oklahoma, the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team heads back into conference play with three games against the No. 9 team in the nation, the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, who will host the Javelinas at John Cain Family Softball Field in Commerce, Texas for a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
During their twin bill with the Eagles, one of the best pitching duos in the Lone Star Conference was on full display. Sophomore Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Sarah Gilbert (Chipley, Fla.) combined to throw 14 innings without allowing an earned run. Smith gave up just two hits while collecting her 11th complete game of the season. Gilbert also went the distance and struck out seven without issuing a walk. Among those in the LSC with at least 40 innings pitched, both hurlers own spots in the top 10 for earned run average. Gilbert's mark of 2.15 places her third. Dating back to TAMUK's doubleheader with Angelo State on February 17th, Gilbert has only allowed more than two earned runs once. Both Smith and Gilbert are also in the conference's top three in terms of innings pitched.
Kingsville's (17-15, 7-8) offense is searching for consistency at the moment. Seven times in their last nine games, the Javelinas have been held under four runs. Freshman Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) owns the team's top batting average at .367. She's coming off a game in which she picked up two hits and scored two of TAMUK's three runs. Junior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) owns the team's top marks in home runs, RBI's, total bases and slugging percentage. She's also struck out only nine times.
Commerce's (25-3, 10-2) rise to the ranking of No. 9 in the nation has largely been fueled by an aggressive offense that owns spots in the top 10 in the nation in both runs scored and stolen bases. Junior Ciera Nunez ranks second in Division II with 30 stolen bases and has only been caught twice. She also leads the LSC with 38 runs scored and has crossed home plate at least once in nine straight games. The Lions were also fortunate enough to bring back senior catcher Mariah Jameyson off an All-American junior campaign. The native of Seattle sits atop the Division II leaderboard with a 54 RBIs to go along with 12 home runs, the nation's sixth-most, and a .524 batting average, eighth in the country.
Coach Richie Bruister's pitching staff has not been as good as his lineup, but it does include three players with ERAs under three. Junior Katie Dean has piled up 10 wins and owns a 2.16 ERA. Selena Rima has thrown only 25.1 innings, but her ERA stands at 1.93. Emily Otto has seen the most action in the circle for TAMUC this season and in 77 innings, her record stands at 8-2.
Friday night's series opener will mark only the 10th time these programs have clashed. Texas A&M-Commerce holds a 6-3 edge, but the Javelinas took two of three from the Lions in 2017, sweeping a doubleheader to clinch the series. The first game was an 11-9 shootout that included home runs from Haley Boyett (Waco, Texas) and Delila Gillespie (San Antonio, Texas). In game two, Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) drove in three runs while Carlie Clark went the distance for the win.
Once the final pitch has been thrown on Friday and Saturday, visit Javelinaathletics.com for a comprehensive recap of all the goings-on in Commerce. 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.
