SAN ANTONIO – Junior Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas) picked up her 14th win of the season and her third save, spinning 8 1/3 innings of one-run ball and spurring the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team to a sweep of the St. Mary's Rattlers in a doubleheader by scores of 6-2 and 2-1 on Tuesday night at St. Mary's Softball Stadium in San Antonio.
"[Breanna's] throwing a lot of strikes, working ahead in the count and really putting the ball in good spots," said coach Craig Nicholson. "Her command has just gotten better and better as the season's progressed."
The 38 wins the Javelinas now possess are their most since 2002, when they claimed a program-best 46 victories, and tied for the second-most in program history. They've also won five straight, their fourth winning streak of at least that length this season. The team's overall record is 38-8, while St. Mary's is 28-22.
GAME ONE
It didn't take long for both offenses to get on the scoreboard and sophomore Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) struck the first blow for the Javelinas, singling in fellow sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) in the top of the first.
St. Mary's jumped on top in their half of the first, using two singles and an error to plate the tying run before Alex Moreno's sacrifice fly brought in run No. 2, providing a slim edge for the home team.
Freshman Makenzie Mays (Conroe, Texas) made sure that lead didn't last long. She sent the first pitch of the second inning sailing over the wall in left, bringing her team level at two.
One frame later, the Javelinas again made good use of the long ball, this time to take the lead. Kelly and Leibas both singled to bring up senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) with one out. The program's all-time home run leader then added one more dinger to her total with a screaming line drive over the center field fence, putting the Blue and Gold ahead 5-2.
Despite putting a runner on in every inning the rest of the way, the Rattlers could not put a dent in their deficit. In the fourth, a perfect throw from freshman Jory Cervantes (Pflugerville, Texas) cut down Aracelli Sanchez at the plate. Two innings later, Smith relieved freshman Saidi Castillo (21-4) (Kingsville, Texas) and stranded two runners on with a groundout to third. The Rattlers put two on again in the seventh, but Smith induced a pair of harmless fly balls to secure her third save.
GAME TWO
Much of the night's second game involved Smith matching zeros with St. Mary's starter Alex McLennan, but the Rattlers quickly broke through for the game's first run. Raynelle Nash hit a 1-2 pitch inside the left field foul pole for a solo homer, staking McLennan to a delicate lead.
For two innings, the sophomore hurler made that advantage stand up, but a brief lapse in that dominance was all the Javelinas needed. A single by senior Victoria Schoonard-Saborio (Elk Grove, Calif.) started the fourth and that's when Leibas stepped to the plate. After getting ahead in the count, the sophomore unloaded on a 3-1 pitch, crushing it out to left for a go-ahead two-run homer, her team-high 10th round-tripper of the year, and with one swing, a one-run deficit had become a one-run lead.
Those would be the only two runs TAMUK would get off McLennan, but Smith, with some help from her defense, made sure it was enough. With two on and one out in the fourth, sophomore Claire Chernosky (Sugar Land, Texas) turned a missed catch on an infield pop up into a 5-6-4 double play to finish the frame. One inning later, with a runner on, Leibas started a double play by snaring a line drive and throwing to first to retire the runner.
After the Rattlers managed only one hit in the fifth and sixth, a pair of singles created a threat for the home team, but a fly ball to center gloved by Cervantes preserved the win and pushed the Javelinas to 30 games over .500.
The Javs have very little time to savor these two victories with another doubleheader on the schedule for Wednesday. This one will begin at 1 p.m. and will match the Javelinas against St. Edward's in Austin. Fans can stay up-to-date with Javelina softball throughout the season by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaSports on Instagram, liking Javelina Sports on Facebook and visit Javelinaathletics.com.
