Kingsville - Behind clutch hitting and a masterful performance from senior RHP Andrea Martinez, the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team completed a pair of comebacks to sweep No.10 Angelo St., 5-3 and 8-2, at Hubert Field on Saturday, pushing the Javelinas win streak to seven games.

The team picked up its first sweep of a top-10-ranked team since 2022, and has won nine of its last 10 games. Down 3-0 in game one, and 2-1 in game two, Kingsville responded in turn to Angelo's crooked number innings, securing the upset wins.

"When you play in the Lone Star Conference, it's all about getting hot at the right time and I feel that we're starting to put all areas of our game together; pitching, hitting, and defense," Head Coach Orlando Salinas said.

Martinez, the Lone Star Conference's reigning Pitcher of the Week, was stellar. She started game one and pitched a three-run, complete-game win, the third start in a row that has seen her go a complete seven innings and pick up a win. Amazingly, for the second straight weekend, she then entered the circle in game two picking up a save for the Hogs. She entered game two with runners on second and third and no outs in the fifth, and retired three straight to help Kingsville maintain its lead. Her game two appearance saw her go 3.0, giving up just one hit and striking out five. 

"Andrea Martinez had a fantastic day with a complete game in game one and three crucial innings in game two," Salinas said. "Our offense is really sticking to the game plan and grinding out quality at-bats. I'm so proud of our offensive production, especially with two outs."

The first game began with three un-answered runs from the Rambelles scored across the second and third innings. TAMUK's two-out hitting prowess came to play early, as freshman OF Victoria Vargas sent home sophomore SS Alexis Soliz from first with a double into left field, starting the day's scoring for Kingsville. That awoke the Hogs' offense, which had been red-hot entering the weekend. In the fourth inning, junior Dakota Martinez shot the seventh home run of her season (T-7th in the LSC) over the left field wall, part of a two-run frame the tied the ballgame. In the very next innings, the Javelinas snatched the lead, courtesy of an RBI single from sophomore 3B Alaunah Almaraz, followed by another such single from D. Martinez. From there, A. Martinez closed out the win, finishing the game with four straight scoreless sides to get the seventh win of her season.

Game two was a surprisingly similar affair, with the Belles responding to Kingsville's run in the second (sac fly from freshman LF Kennia Chong), with a controversial two-spot in the top of the third. After a missed call gave ASU the lead, a five-spot in the third won it right back for TAMUK. Run-scoring hits from Almaraz, Ballin, and freshman DP Ayla Gonzales, and another sac fly from Chong, gave the Hogs a lead it would not surrender. D. Martinez continued another stellar hitting day, and Kingsville's momentum, in the fourth inning with a two-RBI single. From there, once again, it was the A. Martinez show. She faced 10 batters in her relief work, retiring nine, and reaching 172 total pitches thrown across the doubleheader. She became one of just six pitchers in the LSC this season with multiple saves. 

"We get back to work tomorrow and keep growing our team culture," Salinas said. "I love this team so much, it matters to them and for that I am proud of them."

TAMUK has moved within two games of what is now a three-way tie for second place in the LSC standings. The squad owns the second-longest winning streak in the conference. It will now head on the road for a pair of mid-week doubleheaders, as the Javelinas face off with Western New Mexico (Wednesday, 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.) and Sul Ross St. (Friday, 1:00 p.m and 3:00 p.m.). Read Full Article