Islanders Snap Streak with Split on Saturday

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Jessica Mendez went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team, as the Islanders split the pair of contests with Stephen F. Austin. The win in the opening game snapped an 11-game losing skid for the Blue and Green.

A&M-Corpus Christi (12-21, 2-10) battled out of a two-run deficit with a three-run third inning, leading to a 6-3 victory. In the series finale, the Ladyjacks (16-18, 6-5) converted eight hits and three free passes into six runs in a shutout victory and series win.

RELATED: Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

GAME 1, WIN, 6-3

In the day's opening game, Mendez started the proceedings off in the first with an RBI single after Dani Tefft and Cosette Hernandez reached base. SFA pulled ahead with runs in the first, second, and third frames, before the Islanders struck back to take the lead for good.

Candice Hadd, Tefft and Aspen Auger picked up an RBI on back-to-back-to-back at-bats to give the visitors a 4-3 lead. A bases loaded walk in the fourth and a Mackinzee Griebel sac-bunt in the fifth, which scored Brianne Trost, gave Islanders starting pitcher Colleen Bentke (4-6, 3.90 ERA) enough run support for the win.

In the circle for the Blue and Green, Bentke bounced back after surrendering a run the first three innings. Stephen F. Austin managed to scratch one runner on base per inning for the remainder of the game, but the College Station native eliminated any threat to the lead with her pitching.

In her sixth complete game of the year, the southpaw gave up three earned runs, while scattering six hits. Bentke walked three and struck out one.

Makayla Sikes went the distance for the hosts with eight hits and three earned runs against. The righty had seven strikeouts and four walks in the loss.

Offensively, the Islanders were led by multi-hit performances from Hernandez, Tefft and Mendez. The Ladyjacks aided the offensive production for the visitors by committing five errors.

GAME 2, LOSS, 6-0

A&M-Corpus Christi could not match its offensive output in the final game of the day. Five hits generated the only base runners for the Blue and Green, all of whom were left on base.

Stephanie Flores (0-6, 3.38 ERA) stepped in the circle for the Islanders. The senior was undeserving off the loss after giving up four earned runs on eight hits, while adding an Islanders' series-high three strikeouts.

After establishing a 2-0 lead in the third, SFA secured the victory with three runs in the fifth, before tacking on a sixth-inning insurance run. Lindsay Campbell, Autumn Holloway and Taylor Fraccastoro paced the hosts with 2-for-3 outings at the plate.

Defensively, the Islanders needed some impressive individual efforts to hold the Ladyjacks at bay. Jessica Mendez snagged a ball out of the air in the fourth to turn a double play, before Aspen Auger made a diving catch on an attempted sacrifice bunt an inning later.

Callee Guffey earned the win for the Ladyjacks with her five-hit shutout.

MENDEZ HOT STREAK

Shortstop Jessica Mendez carried a five-game hit streak into the series finale on Saturday. Over the last six games, the Corpus Christi native is hitting .375 with a pair of RBI.

This season, the junior is hitting .235 with six RBI and a .309 sluggin percentage.  

"I've been focusing on keeping my hands relaxed," Mendez said. "I keep telling myself that I'm going to hit the ball, and I'm not going to let the pitcher overcome me."

QUICK HITS

• Aspen Auger has quietly bounced from a slow streak. The Austin native has the longest current hitting streak on the team at four games, which is also her long this season.

• After scoring in the top of the first inning in Saturday's win, the Islanders improved to 4-2 this year when being the first team on the board.

• Following a four-hit weekend, Candice Hadd jumped out to a team-leading .391 slugging percentage this season.

ON DECK

The Islanders return to the friendly confines of Chapman Field next weekend for a three-game series in the Southland Conference against Sam Houston State.