Kingsville - Courtesy of two big wins over UT - Permian Basin, 9-0 (6), and 6-2, and a dominant first game from freshman pitcher Arianna Alaniz, the Texas A&M - Kingsville softball team starts its home schedule with four straight wins across the weekend.

The Javelinas totalled 33 runs across the weekend's four games, adding a six-hit, nine-run first game, and a 10-hit, six run second game to beat the Falcons and improve to 6-2 in Lone Star Conference play. 

"These two games were dominated by our pitching, our pitching was outstanding," Head Coach Orlando Salinas said. "Two freshmen, you can see them growing right in front of our eyes. Ari and Esther, are building blocks for our program for years to come, so we're super excited for the future and we're super excited the way we're starting to build momentum."

Alaniz pitched a complete game shutout, giving up just one hit and striking out a staggering 14 across just six innings of work. The performance came just two days after she struck out nine in a five inning, complete game shutout with just one hit against Sul Ross St.

"When Ari broke her nose, we knew we just needed to sustain ourselves until she came back," Salinas said. "And now she's back and she's showing how important she is to our program and to our staff."

Alaniz wasn't the only freshman for Kingsville who showed out in the circle. Esther Martinez threw all seven innings of the second game, striking out four, allowing no walks, just four hits and no earned runs. 

A number of different players for TAMUK produced offensively, led by freshman third baseman Alexis Soliz, who went 3-5, four RBIs and a walk in the two games. Graduate student left fielder AJ Jasso had quite the day as well, going 3-5 with three RBIs and a walk across the doubleheader. Though sophomore DH Dakota Martinez had just one hit on the day, it was a big one - the blast into left field cleared the fence and scored three in the bottom of the fifth in game two to add insurance to TAMUK's lead.

Kingsville jumped on the Falcons early in the first game, scoring one run in the first and two in the second before breaking the game wide open in the third. Back-to-back doubles, one from freshman catcher Savannah Garza and another from Soliz, each brought two runners home, making the game 7-0 - a lead that TAMUK would hold until Jasso scored two on a double in the sixth, initiating the run rule and ending the game.

The Javelinas' offense took a bit longer to get going in the second game, as the scoreless tie wasn't broken until a Soliz single scored one in the bottom of the third. Two senior, Kaylynne Ruiz and Victoria Mosqueda were the next to pick up RBIs for Kingsville, as a Ruiz single and a Modqueda double each scored one in the bottom of the fourth. While UTPB got a couple back in the fourth, Martinez's three-run homer ended the day's scoring in the fifth.

The Javelinas now look ahead to next weekend's road trip, when they take on Angelo St. on Friday and Lubbock Christian on Sunday, each in doubleheaders.

"Any team in this conference can beat anyone on any given day," Salinas said. "So you're always trying to create some momentum and that's what we've done. So, going into Lubbock Christian and Angelo St., we're going to be as prepared as we can be at this point in our season."
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