CORPUS CHRISTI – Junior Stephanie Flores registered a season-high 10 strikeouts for the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team but darkness spoiled the Islanders chance to keep a late rally going as they tied with South Dakota 5-5 in seven innings. Sophomore Jessica Mendez went 2-for-3 to propel the Islanders' bats, who outhit the Coyotes (1-5-1) 9-8 today at the Islanders Invitational at Chapman Field.
Along with Mendez's pair of hits, Dani Tefft, Mackinzee Griebel, Aspen Auger, Brittney Morse, Cosette Hernandez, Lindsey Lyles and Hayley Galloway each scattered one hit apiece for the Islanders (0-8-1).
For the Coyotes, Yvon Minogue tallied three of the squad's eight hits while adding a run and a RBI. Katie Dinning went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a run.
After a scoreless first inning, the Islanders' bats caught fire in the second and third frames with five combined hits to take a 4-0 lead. With one out, Hernandez drilled her second double of the season with a shot to right center. After a strikeout, Lyles kept the offense going with a RBI single to left field to plate Hernandez for the first run of the game. Galloway then ripped the Islanders' third hit of the frame with a single to right field to advance Lyles to second before Tefft hit an infield pop fly to end the inning.
The Islanders tacked on a trio of runs in the bottom of the third on a pair of hits. After a fly out, Morse kept the offensive spark alive with her second double of the season with a shot to left center before Carter walked to put runners in scoring position. Mendez then nailed a single down the left field line to load the bases for Hernandez. The junior reached on a RBI fielder's choice to score Morse and load the bases for Mickayla Cochran. The senior took care of business hitting a RBI sacrifice fly to center field to plate Carter. A&M - Corpus Christi then padded its lead to 4-0 after Mendez crossed home plate on a USD fielding error on a Lyles at-bat. On the play, Hernandez swiped third before being called out at home.
South Dakota rallied back with three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to garner a 5-4 lead. Dinning hit a RBI single through the left side to score Minogue who hit a two-out double. Dinning then came across home plate on a RBI single by Matley Jones for the second run of the inning. Allie Daly then kept the two-out rally going with a single to center field to bring Jones across. Flores settled in then to pick up her sixth strikeout of the game.
Flores started the sixth frame off strong with back-to-back punch-outs before a single, a walk and a RBI single to center field scored a Coyote. USD pushed ahead with another RBI single to center field to take a 5-4 lead.
A&M - Corpus Christi battled back with a run in the bottom of the sixth to even things out at 5-5. After a leadoff groundout by Cochran, the Islanders loaded the bases after Lyles reached on a fielding error, Galloway reached on a walk and Tefft hit a chopper to left field. Auger then came in to pinch hit for Griebel and racked up her first single of her career with a shot through the left side to score Savannah Sandoval who came in to pinch run for Lyles. The Coyotes pulled out of the frame with two Islanders stranded as Morse hit a fly out to center field and Galloway was out on the throw down to home plate.
In the seventh, the Islanders loaded the bases with two outs as Mendez tallied a single, and Cochran and Lyles reached on walks, but a fly out by Galloway ended the inning and the game as darkness prevented any further play.
Flores posted a season-high 10 strikeouts in the Islanders' circle, while allowing eight hits, five runs and four walks in seven innings.
In the Coyotes' circle, Madison Frain allowed six hits, five runs, three of them earned, while walking one and striking out one in 5.1 innings. Rachel Cue relieved Frain in the sixth and allowed three hits and three walks in 1.2 innings.
The Islanders will wrap the invitational on Sunday, Feb. 15, when they host South Dakota at 11:30 a.m.
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