KINGSVILLE, Texas – A brilliant showcase on both diamonds for Texas A&M-Kingsville featured only the second perfect game in softball program history and a walk-off grand slam for the baseball program, which resulted in freshman
Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) and redshirt senior
Pablo Hernandez (Havana, Cuba) bringing home the IBC Bank Player of the Week honors for the 30th week of the awards.
It is the fourth time Castillo has garnered the accolade during the spring season for Javelina softball as she threw a five-inning clean sheet in game one against Eastern New Mexico after striking out the first eight batters of the game and allowing only one ball to be hit out of the infield for an 8-0 victory.
She followed that up with five more outstanding innings to cap the sweep over the Greyhounds as she struck out nine in a 9-1 triumph, putting her weekly ERA at 0.70 in 10 innings coupled with 18 strikeouts. The Santa Gertrudis Academy prospect currently leads the Lone Star Conference with 132 strikeout as she ran her season record to 16-2 for the sixth-ranked Blue and Gold.
For her efforts, Castillo was honored by the LSC with her third Pitcher of the Week award, matching A&M-Commerce's Emily Otto for most on the year.
Hernandez, meanwhile, provided the final punch needed to put the Javelinas over the top against then-No. 5/3 West Texas A&M with a walk-off grand slam in extras on game four. The Havana, Cuba, native took the first pitch he saw over the left field wall with one out in the bottom of the 13th to propel TAMUK to its third win in the opening LSC series in dramatic fashion.
On the year, Hernandez is fourth on the team with a .313 clip behind 30 hits in 96 at bats, slugging .479 coupled with four doubles, three triples and two home runs, driven in 23 RBI, scored 16 runs and drawn nine walks for a .368 on-base percentage.
The Javelina softball program heads out to Canyon, Texas, this weekend for a top-10 clash against No. 9 West Texas A&M as the two programs are 1-2 in the LSC standings. The baseball program will visit Lawton, Okla., this weekend for a four-game set against the Aggies as both squads are tied for second after the first week of LSC play.
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