CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team secured its fourth Southland Conference series win today as it swept Houston Baptist in a doubleheader at Chapman Field. The Islanders (15-24-1, 10-10 SLC) outhit the Huskies 19-10 today and were powered by sophomore Brittney Morse who hit .571 in the two games combined.
HBU (10-27, 4-15 SLC) put together a late rally in the first game but came up short as the Islanders squeezed out a 4-3 win. In the second game, the Islanders built an early lead and maintained their lead to earn their 10th Southland win of the season, 4-1.
The Islanders and Huskies will wrap the series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
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GAME 1: TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI 4, HOUSTON BAPTIST 3
After a scoreless first couple of innings, the Islanders got on the board in the bottom of the third with one run on two hits to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Mackinzee Griebel led the frame off with a single to left field and landed on second after a sacrifice bunt by Cosette Hernandez. After a line out by Dani Tefft, senior Mickayla Cochran reached on a fielding error as Griebel came around to score. The Islanders then loaded the bases as Morse ripped a single to center field and Mendez drew a walk but the Huskies pulled out of the jam as Galloway hit a fly out.
Sophomore Liz Carter pitched a solid game and retired nine straight Huskies following a leadoff single in the second inning. Carter wouldn't allow a base runner until the top of the fifth when Kay Schroeder drew a leadoff walk.
A&M - Corpus Christi's bats then registered three hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Tefft reached on a fielding error by the Huskies to start things off before Cochran drilled her second single of the day to the outfield. After a strikeout, Mendez was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Senior Hayley Galloway then stepped to the plate and nailed a RBI single to right center to score Tefft and load the bases once again for the Islanders. After senior Lindsey Lyles hit a pop fly, Carter blasted a two-run single to center field to bring Mendez and Cochran across home plate. On the play, Carter was able to advance to second on a fielding error by the Huskies.
Carter and the Islanders' defense held the Huskies off the board until the top of the sixth when Victoria Granchelli scored on a RBI single by Melissa Herman. Granchelli started the inning off with a single to center field before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Islanders then escaped as they recorded their ninth double play of the season.
HBU rallied back in the top of the seventh with two runs on two hits before the Islanders earned the win. Laci Belovsky came in to pinch hit and hit a RBI triple down the right field line to score Libby Brown who started the inning with a single through the middle. The Huskies then scored their third run of the game as Caitlin Gunn hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Belovsky. The Islanders finished off the game by snagging the groundout.
Cochran went 3-for-4 to lead the Islanders' bats while seven other Islanders chipped in at least one hit.
Carter (10-15) earned the win in the Islanders' circle with her 19th complete game of the season. She allowed seven hits, three runs and two walks while striking out three Huskies in seven innings.
Shannon O'Connor (3-8) took the loss for the Huskies in six innings. She allowed 10 hits, four unearned runs and one walk while striking out two batters.
GAME 2: TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI 4, HOUSTON BAPTIST 1
HBU opened the game with a 1-0 lead after Nicole Shedd hit a RBI sacrifice fly to Tefft in foul territory to score Shay Orsak who started the game with a single down the left field line. The Islanders however answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and two in the bottom of the third to earn the 4-1 win.
In the bottom of the first, Hernandez recorded the Islanders' first hit of the game with an infield single before picking up her third stolen base of the season. After Cochran reached on a walk, sophomore Jessica Mendez hit a line out to second for the second out of the inning. Carter then stepped to the plate and ripped a RBI single to right center to plate Hernandez. Morse kept the Islanders' bats alive as she followed suit with a RBI single down the right field line to bring Cochran across home plate.
Then in the bottom of the third, Morse hit another RBI single, this time through the left side to score Mendez who reached on a throwing error by the Huskies. Lyles then drilled a RBI single through the middle to plate Morse who registered one of the Islanders' three hits in the inning with a shot through the left side.
Hurler Stephanie Flores had an impressive game as she held the Huskies off the board for the final six frames and allowed just three hits and one walk in the game, while recording three strikeouts in seven innings. She retired 21 of the last 24 batters she faced, including eight straight to wrap the game. After the opening frame, Flores and the Islanders' defense didn't allow a Husky past second base.
Morse finished 3-for-3 to power the Islanders' bats while six other Islanders recorded one hit in the game. The Islanders outhit the Huskies, 9-3.
Belovsky (7-11) suffered the loss for the Huskies. She allowed nine hits, four runs, three of them earned while walking one and striking out three in six innings.
