AUSTIN ? The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Islanders pounded out 11 hits and scored their first run in NCAA
Regional history by taking a 6-2 win over Massachusetts before
falling 2-1 in extra innings to Mississippi State, eliminating them
from the NCAA Regional.
After going 39 consecutive innings without scoring a run in
postseason play, the Islanders busted out for five runs in the top
of the fourth after banging out three hits while taking advantage
of two UMass errors. Freshman Lauren Peters led off the inning with
a walk, followed by an Erica Armenta Bunt single. Holly Kellogg
then hit short, slow runner that catcher KJ Kelley threw into right
field, allowing Peters and Armenta to score. After a Megan Hansen
walk, Jennifer Golden hit an RBI single to left field to plate
Kellogg.
The run parade would continue as pitcher Barb LaFogg threw an
illegal pitch with the bases loaded to score Hansen. Designated
Player Brenda Guerrero hit a two-out single up the middle to score
Shannon Stein giving A&M-Corpus Christi all the runs Pauly
would need.
The Minutewomen answered with a run of their own in the bottom of
the fourth when Kelley homered over the left field wall to close
the gap to 5-1.
UMass scratched for another run in the bottom of the fifth when
Sarah Hurd hit a run-scoring double down the left field line to
plate LaFogg, who led off the inning with an infield single.
The Islanders finished off the Massachusetts with a run in the top
of the sixth. Stein led off the inning with a double to left field
before Guerrero reached on a throwing error by second baseman
Kristi Stefanoni, moving Stein to third. Peters hit a one-out
sacrifice fly to left field to score Stein.
In the nightcap, Tanelda McDonald hit a two-out single to right
field to score Jennifer Jessup in the top of the eighth to give the
Bulldogs the go-ahead run to end the Islanders season at 42-11.
Mississippi state took a 1-0 lead when Katie Cooley hit a one-out
homerun over the left field wall in the top of the fifth to give
the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Freshman Nekkia Neash tied the game at one
when she hit a two-out RBI single up the middle to plate Kellogg,
who led off the inning with single to left field.
Pauly pitched back-to-back complete-games, including eight against
Mississippi State, throwing 212 pitches on the day. In the
nightcap, she allowed two runs off nine hits while striking out
four. She ends her career with 497 strikeouts and a 112-46
record.
