Kingsville - A five-run fifth inning in game two fueled the Texas A&M - Kingsville softball team to a comeback, 9-7, win over St. Mary's following a 3-1 loss in game one of the doubleheader.
The series was a key one in the Lone Star Conference, as the Javelinas entered the matchup with a 12-10 LSC record, just one game behind the Rattlers. While the TAMUK offense struggled in game one, it came alive to the tune of 12 hits in six innings to lead the team to a win.
Freshman right hander Arianna Alanniz recorded in both games, pitching a complete seven innings in game one, giving up eight hits and three runs while striking out seven. Not long after, the team called on her once more, as she pitched the final 3.2 of game two, giving up five hits and just one earned run while striking out seven. She totalled 13 strikeouts and just one walk across her 10.2 innings of work.
Game one began as a pitchers' duel, with Alaniz and Rattler Emily Ayala both dealing early. As such, the game saw a full five innings go by without a score before a two-run top of the sixth that put the road team on top. After a run padded STMU's lead in the seventh, sophomore
Seleste Compian sent Kingsville's first run of the day home with one out on the board. Despite having the tying run in the box in each of the next two at-bats, the team came up just short.
Game two started very differently, with each team scoring in the first inning. The Rattlers put a two on the board in the first side of the game, before Kingsville responded, in the form of sophomore
Dakota Martinez reaching on an error and scoring graduate student
Lindsey Evans, in the bottom of the inning. The Javelinas then dropped a three-spot in the third, once again started by Martinez, who doubled into right center, scoring Evans and junior
Shelbie Peal. Two at-bats later, freshman
Alexis Soliz scored Martinez to extend TAMUK's lead.
After a disastrous fourth inning that saw the Rattlers bat around and score five runs, re-taking the lead, Kingsville responded in turn. The team posted a five-run inning of its own, re-taking the lead. Freshman
Faith Nunez started the party with an RBI single into left field. Over the next two at-bats, split by a pitching change, the Javelinas loaded them up, setting up senior
Sophie Campbell to show off her eye, taking four straight pitches to give the team a walkathon run. The next three straight at-bats, from Compian, Evans, and Martinez respectively, all brought runs home, giving the home team a two-run advantage that it did not give up.
To close out the game, Alaniz retired six of seven, punching out four, in the game's final two innings.
The Javelinas are now four game into an eight-game homestand, with their next matchup coming against No.18 Oklahoma Christian in a doubleheader that is set to begin on Friday at 4 p.m..
