COMMERCE, Texas – A four-run seventh inning that included a three-run blast courtesy of freshman Natalie Rodriguez (Edinburg, Texas) provided the winning margin as the sixth-seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team topped the 20th-ranked and third-seeded Angelo State Rambelles, 7-3, in each team's first game at the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament on Wednesday at the John Cain Family Softball Complex in Commerce, Texas.
This victory sends the Javelinas into the tournament's winner's bracket and sets up a matchup against the No. 2 seed in the region, the No. 12 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs, on Thursday at 3 p.m.
"I thought it was a really well-played game," said coach Craig Nicholson. "Both teams really battled. I thought our offense was really good today, as good as it's been in a long time and I thought our pitching staff did a nice job. Angelo's got a really good offense and I thought we did a pretty good job keeping them in check. We had a big inning in the seventh and got it done."
The rally that won the game began when freshman Kayla Gonzales (San Antonio, Texas) battled back from down 0-2 in the count to work a lead-off walk, then raced to second on a wild pitch. Junior Anastasia Leibas (Del Valle, Texas) followed by lacing a single to left-center that tallied the go-ahead run. Another base hit put two runners on for Rodriguez, who drilled the first pitch she saw to right-center for her fifth dinger of the season. The Rambelles put two runners on the bottom of the inning, but couldn't get the tying run to the plate before the final out was recorded.
The Javelinas broke the ice in the second, loading the bases with three hits to bring up junior Claire Chernosky (Sugar Land, Texas). She blooped a hit into left-center that tallied the game's first run and when the next batter, junior Jennifer Giesey (Crystal Lake, Ill.), proceeded to bounce into a fielder's choice, TAMUK had a 2-0 edge.
ASU wasted no time tying the score in the second on a two-run blast by Jade Strother, but the Javs quickly jumped back in front in the third, when Rodriguez capped a two-out rally with an RBI single. The Rambelles had a chance to even the score again in the bottom of the frame, but a perfect throw to the plate by junior Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) cut down Courtney Barnhill at the plate, ending the inning and keeping the score frozen.
The Javs had a chance to add to their lead in the fourth, but a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity went by the boards and a Mykayla Stroud long ball in the top of the fourth tied the score again. That score would stay tied until TAMUK broke through in the final frame.
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