TYLER, Texas – Senior Jennifer Giesey (Crystal Lake, Ill.) homered and drove in four runs for the No. 12 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team in the first game of a doubleheader against the No. 2 UT Tyler Patriots as the teams split the two games, TAMUK taking the first game, 6-4, before UTT captured the second contest, 5-3, in Lone Star Conference action on Friday evening at Suddenlink Field at the UT Tyler Ballpark in Tyler, Texas.
This split give the Javelinas a record of 31-6 and puts them at 13-5, good enough for sixth in the LSC. The Patriots are tied for second in the conference at 14-4 and 28-4 overall.
GAME ONE
The game's first run was scored by the Javelinas and came off the bat of freshman Aaliyah Ortiz (San Antonio, Texas), who smashed a solo homer to left-center. The Patriots tied the game on the bottom of the inning, but Giesey put her side back on top in the third with long ball to left-center in the third that made the score 2-1.
In the fourth, the Javelinas added to their lead with a four-run rally. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out for Giesey, who cleared the bases by lining a three-run triple into right-center. When senior Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) followed with a groundout, Giesey scampered home for a 6-1 lead.
It was the job of junior Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) to hold that lead and she kept the Patriots off the board in the third and fourth, stranding the bases loaded in the former frame. In the fourth, UTT sliced their deficit to two thanks to a pair run-scoring base hits, but Castillo stranded the tying runs on base by getting Avery Farr to fly out.
Over the final two frames, Castillo allowed only one baserunner and kept TAMUK's lead intact to earn her eighth win.
GAME TWO
The early lead was again seized by the Javelinas in the second game, putting up a pair in second when Ortiz tripled and scored on a Kaylee Dietrich (Phoenix, Ariz.) single and Sarah Montes (San Antonio, Texas) also came across on a sacrifice fly.
The Patriots got on the board in the bottom of the second, but sophomore Kayla Gonzales (San Antonio, Texas) homered in the third to restore the Javs to a two-run lead.
The uprising that won the game for the home team started with a one-out single that was followed by consecutive walks. An infield hit and a sacrifice fly each scored a run to tie the game and a Mak Dominguez single plated two, making the score 5-3, which proved to be a deficit the Javelinas couldn't overcome.
The Javelinas will now travel to Commerce, Texas for a twin bill with Texas A&M-Commerce Lions on Sunday. Stay current with Javelina softball by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on both Twitter and Instagram, liking the Javelina Sports Facebook page, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
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