KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the first time in more than a decade, the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team is riding a 10-game win streak and they'll carry that momentum into Denton, Texas for three games against the Texas Woman's University Pioneers at Pioneer Field, beginning with one game at 6 p.m. on Friday followed by a doubleheader on Saturday with contests scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
In the space of two weeks, Craig Nicholson's team has gone from the basement of the Lone Star Conference into fourth place and their current streak has included a pair of sweeps at the expense of LSC rivals. While seven of those 10 wins have come at Hubert Field, the Javelinas have yet to lose a game on the road this season. In their last series away from home, the Javs took three from Midwestern State and finished with a flurry in the form of an 8-0, run-rule victory that included two homers from junior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas).
"I think we're executing a little better than we were early in the year," said Nicholson. "I think our pitchers are throwing with a little bit more confidence, but the biggest thing is we're getting hits in timely spots. When you're facing good pitching, you've got to have timely hitting and you've also got to pitch well and play defense well and we've been doing that of late."
Freshman Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) has been the main catalyst for the Javelinas during their recent run of success. TAMUK's first-year outfielder has had at least one hit in every game during the streak and she's hit in 13 consecutive contests. Over the course of the last week, Kelly scored at least one run in five TAMUK wins, crossing the plate seven times in total. Kelly has also stolen a base in four straight games. In her team's three-game sweep of UT Permian Basin, Kelly totaled eight knocks in 11 at-bats, including an inside-the-park home run.
Kelly isn't the only new addition who's been able to step right in and succeed for the Javelinas, however. Freshman Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) has also been red hot and she's driven in a run in five straight games while racking up nine hits in her last 15 at-bats, pushing her batting average up to .321. Four of those nine hits have gone for extra bases.
"They're both talented kids," said Nicholson. "That's always where it starts. They've learned how to make adjustments and started to figure some things out about the difference between playing at the high school level and playing at this level and they've been able to do that very quickly."
Leibas, Kelly and the rest of the Javs' lineup will be attempting to stay hot against a TWU pitching staff that owns the LSC's sixth-best ERA. Senior Abby Walker and freshman Cheyenne Mahy have seen the most action in the circle for the Pioneers thus far. Mahy has been credited with four wins against one loss, but Walker can claim the better ERA at 2.68. In 2017, Walker compiled 19 wins and one of those came at the expense of the Javelinas. On March 13th of last year, she hurled seven scoreless innings, giving up only three hits in a 2-0 TWU victory.
Walker's opponent that day was Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) and Kingsville's sophomore lefty will be attempting to flip the script on the Pioneers in 2018. Over her last seven appearances, Smith's earned run average stands at 1.04 and she's won her last seven decisions for a total of nine W's, the conference's second-most. Not to be outdone, senior fireballer Sarah Gilbert (Chipley, Fla.) has given up two earned runs in her last 27.1 innings, an ERA of 0.51.
"They both complement each other," said Nicholson. "They're so different in terms of what they try to do to get hitters out. We've mixed up who's started each game, especially when we're playing doubleheaders. [Having to face] either one of them after the other is a very challenging adjustment for the other team."
Smith and Gilbert will be challenged by a TWU offense that's put up a .349 batting average in 16 games, tied for the highest in the LSC. Two of coach Genny Stidham's student-athletes reside in the league's top 10 in hitting, with Jordan Kisselburg's .514 BA second-best among those with at least 30 at-bats. Not far behind is Hazel Puempel, who's hitting .436 and is also second in the conference with 12 steals. Junior Tylia Sylestine has been Stidham's most productive player, blasting six homers and driving in 19 runs, both team-highs.
The Javelinas will be trying to take a series from the Pioneers for the first time since 2009 and the year before was the last time TAMUK won two-of-three in Denton. Overall, TWU has an advantage of 48 wins to 31 losses in the all-time series.
Once the final out has been secured on both Friday and Saturday, Javelinaathletics.com is your home for a comprehensive rundown of each game. 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.
