Box Score SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A day after being on the winning side of a run-ruled game for the first time since 2011, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team capped a 2-2 weekend at the UTSA Classic with a 2-1 over North Dakota on Sunday morning, completing the sweep against the Fighting Hawks.
Liz Carter took the circle for the Islanders (7-3) for a six-inning outing, striking out 10 batters for the third time this season. The junior righty scattered three hits and allowed one earned run.
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"Good teams find a way to win," head coach Stephanie Hugh said after the game. "North Dakota kept us off balance for the better part of five innings, so to see our hitters make some adjustments and come out on top is exciting to see. We are still learning and it's a process. I was very pleased to see the hitters step up this weekend.
After a rough outing yesterday against Tulsa, Carter came out dealing on Sunday morning. Five of the first six outs came by way of the strikeout for the Austin native. North Dakota put runners in scoring position on two occasions, but Carter held the opponents from putting a run on the board in the first five innings.
"Today was about pushing through the adversity," Carter said. "You're not going to be on point every game, but we found a way to come out with the win. It was a nice way to end the tournament."
Pitching ruled through the opening four innings, as both sides were able to scratch just two hits apiece. The best offensive opportunity for the Islanders came in the bottom of the fourth, but the Islanders could not bring Candice Hadd home from third with two outs.
In the bottom of the fifth, back-to-back singles by Megan Mitchell and Cosette Hernandez set up Dani Tefft for a two-run double down the right field line to break the deadlock.
"During my previous two at-bats, I saw nothing but up-and-in pitches," Tefft recalled after the game. "I know what was coming. I was looking to drive to the right side to get some runners in. I had a plan and just wanted to execute, and it worked out for us."
North Dakota pulled a run back in the following inning with a Megan Keegan solo shot to right. Carter bounced back to strikeout the next two batters.
Colleen Bentke came on in the seventh for her first save of the year. The rookie southpaw found herself in a jam with the bases loaded and two outs. Showing the calm of a seasoned veteran, Bentke recorded the final out with a ground ball to short.
"Colleen put herself in a tough situation," added Hughes. "She's a competitive kid, so I was happy to see her step up and pull through."
Kaylin VonDomelen went the distance for the Fighting Hawks, striking out six Islanders, but allowed a pair of earned runs on seven hits.
NOTABLE STATS
• Jessica Mendez and Tefft extended their current hitting streaks to the team-high four games.
• Defensively, the Islanders were nearly perfect on the weekend, committing just a single error across the four games.
• The Islanders tallied 17 runs on 33 hits at the UTSA Classic, led by Mendez's 6-for-12 performance over the four games. Aspen Auger registered six RBI and connected on two home runs.
"Coach Stein did a great job getting our hitters to buy in and lock into our play and it paid off," added Hughes.
ON DECK
The Islanders will have the week off before heading to College Station for the Texas A&M-Invitational. Five games await the Blue and Green, including contests against the hosts, Indiana and UTEP.
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- Go Islanders -
