ODESSA, Texas – For the first time in program history, the No. 3 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team has earned the Lone Star Conference Championship. The Javelinas secured the title by sweeping a doubleheader from the UT Permian Basin Falcons by scores of 7-0 and 11-1 on Saturday afternoon at the UTPB Softball Complex in Odessa, Texas.

The Javs finish the regular season 24-6 in the LSC and 41-8 overall. A&M-Commerce's loss to Cameron earlier in the day ensured the Javelinas would finish alone atop the conference. This marks the first time TAMUK has finished with the LSC's best record since it eliminated divisions in 2012.

These two victories also ensure the Javelinas, who've earned the No. 1 seed, will host the LSC Tournament, which will begin on Friday at Hubert Field.

GAME ONE

Freshman Saidi Castillo (22-4) (Kingsville, Texas) cruised to her 22nd win, only allowing two hits on her way to her eighth shutout of the season. She retired the first eight hitters she faced until a walk broke that streak in the third. She would end the day with eight strikeouts, picking up at least one K in every inning except the fourth. Her 22 victories have her tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history.

The Javelina lineup wasted no time staking Castillo to a lead. Sophomore Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) laced a 2-0 pitch over the wall right-center for a first inning run and three more came in the third.

A double by senior Arabella Acosta-Cantu (Corpus Christi, Texas) began the frame and she scored thanks to a single by another senior, Victoria Schoonard-Saborio (Elk Grove, Calif.). A sacrifice then put runners on second and third for senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) and her base hit combined with an error brought in a pair, stretching the lead to 4-0.

In the sixth inning, TAMUK's advantage grew to 6-0, courtesy of an RBI single from sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) and a Schoonard-Saborio sacrifice fly. Another RBI single in the seventh, this one from freshman Amber Reyes (Edinburg, Texas), closed out the scoring.

GAME TWO

It was the TAMUK lineup that stole the show in the second game, posting their highest run total of the season as the Javs collected their second run-rule victory on the road in 2019.

Three-run rallies in the first and second innings started the slugfest and four straight hits for the Blue and Gold led-off the game. Kelly singled and came all the way around when Schoonard-Saborio doubled. A single from Leibas then sent Schoonard-Saborio across and Chapa kept the line moving with another single. She would score the game's third run on a Jory Cervantes (Pflugerville, Texas) hit to left.

Kelly also got things started in the second and she did so by picking up her second hit. A hit batter put two on for Leibas, who lined her second knock of the contest into right, sending Kelly across. Freshman Veronica Chavez's (Tempe, Ariz.) sacrifice fly made the score 5-0 before Leibas raced home on the wild pitch for the final run of the stanza.

The last rally the Javelinas would need came in the fourth, when two singles and a sacrifice brought up freshman Makenzie Mays (Conroe, Texas) with second and third and one out. Mays rocketed a two-run double down the left field line and later scored when Cervantes traded places with her at second. Reyes pushed the lead to 10-0 by scoring on a groundout and Cervantes touched home for run No. 11 on a wild pitch.

Junior Breanna Smith (16-3) (San Antonio, Texas) had no trouble making TAMUK's lead stand up. The only run she allowed came on a solo homer in the fourth and she permitted just three hits. She struck out four and would end up throwing 61 pitches while logging her 15th complete game. Smith closed out the day by retiring the side in order in the fifth, clinching the program's first conference title.

The Lone Star Conference Tournament begins on Friday with four games at Hubert Field. The Javelinas and Lions will receive first round byes while the event's third and sixth-seeded teams and fourth and fifth seeded squads square off for the right to play the top two seeds later in the day. To keep up with everything related to Javelina softball as the postseason approaches, 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.