CORPUS CHRISTI – Sophomore Jessica Mendez ripped a two-out RBI single to center field to score senior Mickayla Cochran in the bottom of the sixth to lift the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team to a 1-0 victory over Stephen F. Austin today in the final game of the series. The Islanders (9-21-1, 4-8 SLC) earned their fourth shutout win of the season and their second straight Southland Conference series victory.
Sophomore Liz Carter put together another strong performance in the Islanders' circle limiting SFA (9-22, 2-9 SLC) to three hits on the day. She also allowed just one walk while picking up four strikeouts. The Austin, Texas native did not allow a hit until the top of the third when Brittany Lewis hit a single to center field.
Cochran went 2-for-3 to lead the Islanders' bats while junior Cosette Hernandez and sophomore Brittney Morse each tallied one hit apiece to extend their hitting streak to seven games. Junior Dani Tefft, senior Hayley Galloway and sophomore Mackinzee Griebel also joined Mendez with one hit apiece. The Islanders' bats outhit the Ladyjacks, 8-3.
Carter retired the first four Ladyjacks she faced before giving up her first walk of the game. The Islanders put up the first hit of the game in the bottom of the first when Tefft nailed a one-out single through the middle. The Islanders kept striking as they recorded a hit in each of the next three innings but were unable to bring any runs across. Then in the bottom of the fifth Griebel and Hernandez hit consecutive infield singles but the Ladyjacks pulled out the jam retiring the next three Islanders.
A&M - Corpus Christi's bats kept battling and in the top of the sixth Cochran started things off with an infield single before senior Lindsey Lyles did her job to advance Cochran to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out by Galloway, Mendez stepped to the plate and blasted a RBI single to center field to score Cochran and put the Islanders on the board. Griebel followed with a groundout to end the inning.
SFA threatened in the final frame as Taylor Fraccastoro led off the frame with a single to left field and Shalie Day advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Carter however settled in and retired the side to help the Islanders secure the win.
Hannah Welch (2-3) registered the loss for SFA in six innings. She allowed eight hits and one run.
The Islanders will continue Southland Conference play when they travel to Huntsville, Texas, to take on Sam Houston State in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 3.
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