Kingsville - Leaning on its high-powered offense, the Texas A&M - Kingsville softball team closed out its four-game homestand with a doubleheader sweep of Midwestern St., beating the Mustangs 8-3 and 11-7.

The Javelinas collected 23 hits and 19 runs across the doubleheader. The Sunday ballgames get TAMUK back in the win column after taking a nail-biting loss to No.4 Angelo St. on Friday, they improve the team to 15-12 overall and 10-6 in Lone Star Conference play.

"It's like I've said from the beginning, when you can get a W, you take it," Head Coach Orlando Salinas said. "Every team can beat every team, I truly believe that, and Midwestern St. is no exception."

The team got four total RBIs on the day from senior second baseman Sophie Campbell and three from graduate student outfielder AJ Jasso. They led a squad that put crooked numbers on the board in six different sides and struck out just five times across the two games.

Despite a late-inning jam in game two, out of which freshman right hander Arianna Alaniz got the team, the Javelinas were able to get playing time for a number of different players who don't always get live game reps.

"We were able to really get a lot of people some playing time, that was the other thing, at the end of the game, we had five freshmen on the field," Salinas said. "So yes, we're working for next weekend, but we're also working for the future, so we're really excited about that."

Apart from the Mustangs' two - and only- runs scored in the top of the second, the Javelinas rolled through game one without a problem. 

Wind gusts nearing 30 MPH made pitching difficult on both sides, with the game totalling 14 walks between the four pitchers. The four that Kingsvile's starter, Alaniz, was responsible for all came in the first two innings, as did her two earned runs on the day. Once she settled in, however, Alaniz began to deal, handing out eight strikeouts in five innings of work. Junior Kristina Nash came in for the game's final two innings, giving up just one hit and getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to close out the win.

Offensively, eight different Javelinas recorded a hit in that game, with production coming from everywhere in the lineup. Campbell was fantastic, batting in three runs on two hits, while freshman third baseman Alexis Soliz led the team in hits, going 3-5 in the game and scoring a pair or runs.
Kingsville once again jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring seven runs across the first two innings. Jasso started the action, scoring two, before Campbell and freshman Allison Frausto each sent a run home in the first. TAMUK kept on rolling in a second inning that saw Jasso reach on an error and plate two more runs, senior catcher Victoria Mosqueda get an RBI walk. 

As if that wasn't enough, senior Kaylynne Ruiz taked on to the home team's lead, scoring a pair with a two-RBI double. The Javelinas' final two runs came in the fifth, when sophomore Dakota Martinez reached on an error and sent freshman Elena Gonzalez home, and Frausto got the team's second RBI walk of the day.

While freshman left hander Esther Martinez pitched most of the game, going 5.2 with eight hits and four earned runs, it was Alaniz who game back in to get the series' final two outs, giving up a hit and striking one out.

The Javelinas will now head on the road for four games, with in Denton against Texas Woman's before a Sunday doubleheader with No.1 UT-Tyler. 
  Read Full Article