Tyler - The Texas A&M - Kingsville softball team fell in a pair of pitching duels, 2-0 and 3-1, that saw the Javelinas give up just two total earned runs across their doubleheader against No.1 UT-Tyler on Sunday.

Two freshmen, right hander Arianna Alaniz and left hander Esther Martinez, started in the circle and pitched complete games for Kingsville. Alaniz and Martinez each gave up just one earned run and threw three strikeouts - Alaniz gave up four hits, Martinez gave up three. The team falls to 16-15 overall and 11-9 in Lone Star Conference play. 

The Javelinas, however, struggled to provide run support, coming up just short of upsetting the top-ranked team in the nation with late opportunities in both games. The team mustered four total hits across both games. Graduate student outfielder AJ Jasso drove in TAMUK's lone run with an RBI single in the sixth inning of game two. 

Game one started just about exactly as expected with Alaniz, who entered the day as the LSC's strikeout leader, battling against one of the very best pitching staffs in D2. The game began with seven straight scoreless sides before Tyler scored the game's only two runs in the bottom of the fourth, one of which came unearned on a Kingsville throwing error that would have ended the inning.

Putting together a late comeback bid, the Javelinas put runners at the corners with one away in the top of the seventh. Despite having the go-ahead run in the box in back-to-back at bats, TAMUK fell short.

Game two followed a similar track, with pitching dominating early. The Patriots broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of earned runs following a two-out Javelina error. They then tacked on one more in the fifth with a sac fly. This time, Kingsville's opportunity came in the sixth. Jasso sent a ball that stayed just fair down the first-base line, scoring junior right fielder Shelbie Peal to make it 3-1. With the tying run in the box the next at bat, however, the Javelinas fell just short of a major upset once again.

The team will now return to Kingsville for eight straight home game, starting with a Friday doubleheader against St. Edward's at 4 p.m. 

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