Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO - The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team has now won three straight games after a pair of key wins on day two of the Southern Colorado Crossover, the first was 7-4 win over Colorado at Colorado Springs courtesy of some big hitting, and the second was a tight, 5-4 revenge victory over Colorado State-Pueblo.
After five straight losses to begin their season, the Javelinas have responded by rattling off three in a row across the first two of three days that they will compete at the SCC. One of those five losses came yesterday to CSU-Pueblo is the team's first game at the tournament, which is hosted by both CSU-P and UCCS.
TAMUK began its day in Colorado Springs, where it posted its third game of the year in which it scored seven or more runs. A pair of freshman, outfielder
Victoria Vargas and DP Isa Hernandez, each reached base three times in the win, scoring three combined runs. All seven of the Hogs' scores came in the first three innings as they jumped on the Mountain Lions early. A two-RBI double from sophomore outfielder
Lainee Ballin in the first, followed by back-to-back homers from Hernandez and junior first baseman
Dakota Martinez in the third broke the game wide open.Â
Senior RHP
Kristina Nash started in the circle for Kingsville and gave up just three earned runs in five innings, striking out a pair. Sophomore LHP closed out the game's final two frames, giving up just three hits and one unearned run to help get Kingsville the win.
It was then time for the team to make the roughly 40 minute trip to Pueblo, where they would face off with the Thunder Wolves for the second time this weekend. While Pueblo started hot, scoring the game's first three runs, Kingsville finished strong with five unanswered runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to get the win. The Javelinas' outfielders stayed hot in the day's second game, as it was Vargas who started the party, plating a run with a single in the fifth. Then sophomore third baseman
Julissa Vasquez and freshman OF
Kennia Chong went back-to-back with RBI doubles in the sixth, tying the game. The clutch hitting continued into the seventh, as Ballin and sophomore catcher
Savannah Garzas each picked up an RBI to give Kingsville a late lead and the win.
Again TAMUK went with a 5-2 inning split for its pitchers, with senior RHP
Andrea Martinez getting the start striking out four in five frames, giving up three earned runs in her time before E. Martinez again took over to close out the win, giving up one hit and one earned run between the sixth and seventh.
Tomorrow, the Javelinas will test their winning streak against Minnesota-Crookston (11:00 a.m.) and Adams St. (1:30 p.m.) in the final two games of their tournament.
