STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A go-ahead, three-run home run by senior Victoria Schoonard-Saborio (Elk Grove, Calif.) in the sixth inning was just enough for the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team in a nail-biting, 8-7 victory over the No. 8 Tarleton State Texans in Lone Star Conference action at the TSU Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas on Saturday night.
This represents the program's first win over a top 10 team since 2017, when they defeated sixth-ranked West Texas. The Javelinas now own a record of 15-1 and are 3-1 in the LSC. Tarleton drops its second straight. They're 2-2 in league play and 11-3 overall.
Schoonard-Saborio's dinger represented the third time the Javs gained the lead on this night. They jumped on top for the first time in the second inning, when a pair of walks and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position for freshman Makenzie Mays (Conroe, Texas). Mays smoked a line drive that was snared by Morgan Ling at second base, but her subsequent throw to third was wild and two runs came in on the error.
In the third, Tarleton answered by putting their first two hitters on and a Morgan Sebastian RBI single was followed by another run-scoring hit, this one from Elizabeth Svienty to tie the game.
Following a scoreless fourth, the Javelinas moved back ahead by tallying two more runs in the fifth. A walk, a hit batter and a sacrifice bunt sent sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) to the dish and she lined a single into left to score Schoonard-Saborio. When freshman Amber Reyes (Edinburg, Texas) grounded out, Mays scored her team's fourth run to make the score 4-2.
The Texans took the lead for the first time in their half of the fifth, loading the bases with nobody out for Tanna Huie. Her infield hit sliced the deficit in half before Svienty scored on sacrifice fly. The next batter, Kadyn Kirkpatrick also lifted a fly ball to the outfield and TSU's second sacrifice fly of the frame put them up 5-4.
The response was swift, as the visitors tied the game before an out could be recorded in the sixth. Freshman Veronica Chavez (Tempe, Ariz.) drew a walk and senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) laced an RBI double into right-center. After another knock put runners at first and third, Schoonard-Saborio drilled a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right for an 8-5 lead.
It was the job of freshman Saidi Castillo (8-1) (Kingsville, Texas) to make that edge stand up. She tossed a perfect sixth before allowing consecutive singles to lead off the seventh. She recorded the inning's first out on a fly ball before a single and error closed the gap to 8-7, but there, she held fast. Castillo got Amanda Conner to line out and, after a walk to load the bases, she K'd Jessica Lee to clinch the win.
The Javelinas and Texans will square off twice on Sunday in a doubleheader that will begin at 1 p.m. Javelina fans can keep with Blue and Gold softball by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaSports on Instagram, liking Javelina Sports on Facebook and visit Javelinaathletics.com.
