KINGSVILLE, Texas – A seven-run fourth inning that included two RBI base hits from sophomore Natalie Rodriguez (Edinburg, Texas) helped the No. 7 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball overcome an early deficit to earn an 11-5 in game one of a doubleheader, but the No. 11 Angelo State Rambelles silenced TAMUK's bats to win game two 4-1 in Lone Star Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas.
The Javelinas and Rambelles are both 17-7 in conference play, tying them for fifth. TAMUK is 35-8 overall, while ASU is 33-8.
GAME ONE
The Rambelles started the game by plating a pair of runs in the first and adding another in the second for a 3-0 edge, but the Javelinas responded by putting two runners on the third and a hot shot off the bat of junior Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.) resulted in a double and an error that brought home two.
With their deficit cut to one, senior Kaylee Dietrich (Phoenix, Ariz.) started the fourth with a double, then scampered home when Rodriguez smacked a two-bagger of her own off the wall in center. Rodriguez came across with the go-ahead run on a Rylee Oborski (Salado, Texas) single and a walk and a hit by pitch soon after loaded the bases for Onofrei.
The junior from Arizona ripped the first pitch she saw to left-center, pushing across two more runs to make the score 7-3. Rodriguez capped the rally two batters later with a two-run knock and the Javs had a six-run lead.
Single runs in the fifth and sixth allowed ASU to creep closer, but excellent relief work from freshman Carissa De Los Santos (Kingsville, Texas) and junior Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) prevented the visitors from mounting a serious comeback. Rodriguez tacked on an RBI single in the sixth and closed out the scoring by touching home on a wild pitch.
GAME TWO
The second game began with two scoreless innings as Castillo and ASU's Torrey Hogan stranded runners in scoring position in the first before breezing through the second. Once again it was the Rambelles who broke on top first thanks to a three-run Paxton Scheurer homer in the third.
That scored stayed frozen through the sixth inning, as the Javs couldn't find any traction against Hogan. She allowed just one hit in frames two through six and put together two different streaks of retiring eight-in-a-row.
An insurance run crossed the plate for the visitors in the seventh and it was matched by a Dietrich long ball in the bottom of the frame, but that was the only run the Javs could manage off Hogan, who induced a double play grounder later in the frame that ended the game.
The Javelinas will be at home one more time in 2022 and it will be on Thursday, when they host St. Mary's for a doubleheader at 4 p.m. 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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