DENVER – A two-run homer by freshman Veronica Chavez (Tempe, Ariz.) jump-started a six-run sixth inning for the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team and they rode that rally to a 7-2 victory over the Augustana Vikings in the first game of the College World Series National Championship Series on Sunday night at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver.
"It was a really good night for us," said coach Craig Nicholson. "Our offense came alive right around the fourth inning. We did a great job offensively for the last four innings of that ballgame. It was good to see because we've been really leaning on our pitchers and our defense. Good to see us get our offense going."
The Javelinas are now one win away from the program's first national championship. They'll play the Vikings in game two of this best-of-three at 3 p.m. CT. on Monday. The start time for the if-necessary game on Monday is TBD.
The Vikings first seized the lead in the second thanks to a solo blast from Samantha Eisenreich.
A response came immediately from the Javelinas in the top of the third, when sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single through the middle courtesy of senior Victoria Schoonard-Saborio (Elk Grove, Calif.).
As quickly as the game was tied, however, Augustana used the long ball to move back ahead. Kendall Cornick hit one out to left-center for a 2-1 Viking lead.
After one opportunity went by the boards in the fifth, a lead-off double by senior Roxy Chapa (McAllen, Texas) got TAMUK started in the sixth. Up next was Chavez and she tattooed one over the wall in left to put the Blue and Gold ahead for the first time.
"I just took a deep breath and was trying to do my job," said Chavez. "Before that inning got started, we got together and decided we were going to take some hacks and swing confidently."
The rally kept rolling when the Javelinas loaded the bases on a walk sandwiched between two singles. Schoonard-Saborio then picked up her second hit of the day, peppering the right field fence with a double to clear the bases and increase the lead to 6-2. The final blow was provided by sophomore Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas), who punched a single through the middle to tally Schoonard-Saborio.
Meanwhile, freshman Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) silenced Augustana's bats after Cornick's dinger. She allowed just one hit from the fourth inning on and thwarted attempts to start rallies in the fifth and sixth. The seventh inning went one-two-three and the Javelinas moved one win away from the national title.
To keep up with everything related to Javelina softball during the postseason, follow @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaSports on Instagram, like Javelina Sports on Facebook and visit Javelinaathletics.com.
