Lubbock - The Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team got out to a hot start, but struggled to bring runners in the rest of the day, falling 12-6 and 6-2 to the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps in Lubbock on Friday.
Kingsville has now lost its last three games following a history-making 14-game winning streak and sits at 26-14 overall and 21-9 in Lone Star Conference play.Â
Javelina Acolades
Despite the loss, a number of Javelinas made their marks on the game, led by senior RHP Andrea Matinez' who struck out four batters in her game-one start, jumping up over the 100 mark in strikeouts on the season. She is one of just seven LSC pitchers who have reached triple digit Ks so far this season.
The DH also saw sophomore 3B
Alaunah Almaraz, sophomore RF
Lainee Ballin, and freshman DP
Isabella Hernandez extend impressive hitting streaks, with the three having now picked up a base hit in 12, 11, and 10 straight games respectively. Almaraz has reached base in 25 straight games while freshman 2B
Victoria Vargas has gotten aboard in 17 contests in a row.
Game Summaries
TAMUK started game one red hot, scoring all six of its runs between the second and third innings. Even more amazingly, all six came via the long ball. First it was freshman LF
Kennia Chong and junior C
Maria Valls Raya in the second, and then it was Ballin in the third. Each knocked two-run bombs over the outfield fence, putting Kingsville up six-nothing.Â
From there, however, the Javelina' offense struggled, picking up just one hit the rest of the game. Lubbock scored 12 unanswered runs, a six-spot in the third followed by three runs scratched in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
Senior RHP
Andrea Martinez got the start for Kingsville and went 2.1. She was followed by junior RHP
Marianna Zumerle (L, 2-2), who threw 2.1 of one-hit ball.
Game Two saw TAMUK's offensive struggles continue, as it left nine runners on base, scoring two runs, its lowest single-game output since March eighth against Oklahoma Christian. Kingsville scored one run each in the fourth and seventh. Its fourth-inning score came on an RBI single from freshman SS
Ella Srubar to make it a one-run game. Just one inning later, however, the Lady Chaps responded with a four-spot to put the game out of reach. Almaraz would bring home the game's final run in the sixth with an RBI single.Â
Kingsville's freshman LHP
Kailee Silva (L, 3-3), got the start and went 4.0 IP, the longest she has gone in a contest since February 22nd.
Up Next
Kingsville will now make the trip to Wichita Falls for its Sunday matinees against Midwestern St.. The Javelinas will dual with the Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
