CONROE, Texas – The No. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team dropped a couple of ranked opponents on Saturday afternoon in Conroe, Texas, edging the No. 14 Southern Arkansas Muleriders, 5-4, then outslugging the No. 21 Arkansas Tech Golden Suns, 12-6, on the second day of the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational.
"Our offense was really good today," said coach Craig Nicholson. "We were really productive with two outs and got big hits at key times. The pitching staff battled and gave us an opportunity to win both games."
TAMUK vs. Southern Arkansas
In the day's first game, the Javelina lineup went to work immediately against SAU starter Victoria Taylor. Junior Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) created the first run by herself, drawing a lead-off walk, stealing second and scoring on a passed ball. Two batters later, junior Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) whacked her first home run of the year over the left field fence for TAMUK's second run.
Another long ball started off the second for the Javs, this one coming from freshman Natalie Rodriguez (Edinburg, Texas), who sent a long fly ball soaring over the same left field wall to make the score 3-0. This lead was entrusted to junior lefty Breanna Smith (San Antonio, Texas), who put up nothing but zeroes through the first five innings and allowed only one hit.
In the top of the fifth, two insurance runs came across for the Javelinas during another rally that started with a walk to Loren Kelly. She quickly stole second and took third on bunt hit by sophomore Jory Cervantes (Pflugverville, Texas). Leibas' second RBI of the day crossed the plate when she rapped a single into left and sophomore Makenzie Mays (Conroe, Texas) singled two batters later to score Cervantes for a 5-0 lead.
The Muleriders cut into their deficit in the sixth, tallying their first two runs on an RBI triple courtesy of Sarah Evans and a sacrifice fly from the next hitter, Alese Casper. In the bottom of the seventh, a hit, a hit batter and an error allowed SAU to load the bases with two out. Chelsea Fagan's two-run knock brought her team to within a run, but Smith induced a groundout from Fagan, enabling the Javs to hold on for the victory.
TAMUK vs. Arkansas Tech
Against the Golden Suns, Nicholson's lineup once again went to work right away, putting up six runs in the first two stanzas. The game began with a walk, a single and a hit batter to load the bases for sophomore Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.). Onofrei took the opportunity to rocket her first home run of the year over the fence in left and the grand slam gave the Blue and Gold a quick 4-0 lead. Two more Javelina runs crossed in the second on an error and a Leibas single to bump the lead to six.
The Golden Suns used the long ball to get back in the game, cracking round-trippers in their half the second and the third to slice their deficit in half, but TAMUK kept pouring it on. In the fourth, a pair of safeties brough up Leibas and she lined a two-run double in right-center before touching home on walk. The fourth hit of the inning was a run scoring single provided by Rodriguez to make the score 10-3.
The final two runs of the day for the Javelinas came in in the fifth on a double by Onofrei that tallied Leibas and a Mays RBI single. ATU responded with two more four-baggers in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 12-6, but they were unable to seriously threaten the Javs' lead. Sophomore Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) permitted a run in the seventh, but that was all as she secured the final six outs.
The Javs will close out their time in Conroe with two more games on Sunday, first against No. 21 Tarleton at 10 a.m., then a 3 p.m. matchup against Minnesota Duluth. To keep with Javelina softball all season long, follow @TAMUKSB on Twitter, @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, like Javelina Sports on Facebook and subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
