THIBODAUX, La. – The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team outhit Nicholls 8-3 to earn its first Southland Conference win of the season, 4-0, at the Colonel Softball Complex. Junior Dani Tefft went 3-for-4 to help the Islanders (5-18-1, 1-6 SLC) snap a string of six straight losses.
Along with Tefft, senior Hayley Galloway finished 2-for-3 while sophomore Liz Carter, senior Mickayla Cochran and sophomore Mackinzee Griebel each chipped in one hit apiece for the Islanders.
Carter (4-11) pitched a solid game in the Islanders' circle, giving up just three hits en route to her first shutout of the season. The Austin, Texas, native also allowed just two walks while striking out two Colonels (16-10, 4-3 SLC) in seven innings.
The Islanders' bats got off to a strong start with five hits in the first three frames to take a 2-0 lead. In the opening frame, Cosette Hernandez reached on a fielding error by the Colonels before Tefft ripped a single to left field. With Islanders on first and second, Morse cranked a RBI sacrifice fly to center field to score Hernandez.
A&M - Corpus Christi then tacked on two hits in each of the third and fourth frames to extend their lead to 4-0. Tefft led off the top of the third with a shot through the left side. She then swiped second for her seventh stolen base of the season. After a fly out and ground out, Cochran stepped to the plate and blasted her sixth double of the season to left center to plate Tefft for the Islanders' second run of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Galloway kept the offense going with her third double of the season with a shot down the left field line and advanced to third on a groundout by Jessica Mendez. Griebel then reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second as Galloway stole home. Hernandez then followed with a groundout to move Griebel to third before Tefft recorded her third hit of the game with a RBI single through the right side to bring Griebel across home plate and give the Islanders a 4-0 lead.
A&M - Corpus Christi registered its eighth hit of the game after Carter led off the top of the fifth with a single through the left side. Nicholls' Hannah Haydel then retired the next nine Islanders she faced.
The Islanders held on to the lead as Carter allowed just one hit in the final three frames to propel the Islanders to victory.
The Islanders and Colonels will continue the series tomorrow in a doubleheader starting at 9 a.m.
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