Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – On a day when Islanders pitcher Liz Carter made history becoming the second player in program history to fan 147 batters in a season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team split a doubleheader with Abilene Christian at Chapman Field on Friday.
RELATED: Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
The Islanders (16-28, 5-17) topped the Wildcats (22-21, 15-8), 4-3, in a series-opening victory behind Carter's on-point pitching and three consecutive innings scoring to finish the game.
Abilene Christian bounced back in the afternoon contest, converting on Islanders defensive miscues by scoring three runs in the fourth and fifth innings to win 7-3.
GAME 1, WIN, 4-3
Carter came out of the gates firing on all cylinders with a trio of punchouts through the first two innings. A&M-Corpus Christi took the lead in the second inning when Candice Hadd scored on an error caused by a line drive from Mackinzee Griebel.
Abilene Christian responded with a pair of runs in the ensuing inning, as the Wildcats converted on a pair of hits and a walk before Carter erased any further threat with a strikeout to end the inning.
From the fourth inning onward, the momentum continued to swing in favor of the team at the plate. Hadd plated Jessica Mendez on a double to left to level the score at 2-2 in the fourth. The visitors regained the lead in the top half of the fifth when ACU leftfielder Miranda Herron doubled up the left side to score the go-ahead run.
Carter buckled down from that point to fan a pair of batters and allow just a single runner on base in the final two innings, which allowed the offense to provide the necessary run support for the righty.
In the fifth, Carter tied the game on a sacrifice fly, which scored Cosette Hernandez. The Blue and Green took the lead for good in the following frame. A single to right by Megan Mitchell gave Mendez plenty of time to come home from second, as the Islanders notched a win in their first ever game in Corpus Christi against the Wildcats.
The Islanders pieced together eight hits with Cosette Hernandez going a career-high 3-for-3, in addition to her team-leading eighth stolen base this season. Jessica Mendez added her sixth two-hit game of the year, and Aspen Auger chipped in with a base knock.
Carter went the distance for the 16th time this season, leading to her 10th win. The Austin native scattered six hits and struck out seven, while allowing three earned runs and walking one.
Hanna Null threw a split game for the Wildcats, leaving the game briefly in the fifth. Julia Montoya came in to pitch for three outs between the fifth and sixth innings, giving up the winning run and taking the loss. Null surrendered three runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
GAME 2, LOSS, 7-3
The Islanders rearranged their lineup for the afternoon contest, switching Dani Tefft to the bottom half of the lineup and moving Griebel into the two-hole for the first time this season.
Despite falling behind 1-0 in the first inning on a throwing error from a dropped third strike, the Islanders rallied to put a three-spot on the board in the third.
A hard hit ball by Adriana Farris with the bases loaded resulted in an RBI infield single. Hadd extended her team-leading RBI tally to 18 with a single that scored Mendez and Griebel from second and third, respectively, to take a 3-1 lead. A&M-Corpus Christi record four of their seven hits in the game in the third frame.
Abilene Christian struck back in the top of the fourth with a trio of runs from three hits, before Islanders errors gave the Wildcats enough distance for the win the following inning. The Blue and Green committed four of their season-high five errors in the fifth, which allowed the visitors to score three runs with a single hit in the inning.
Colleen Bentke dropped to 5-9 on the season with her complete-game effort. With 11 hits against with a pair of walks and strikeouts, the southpaw was on the hook for just three of the seven runs against the Islanders.
Three Wildcats were responsible for the majority of the 11 hits in the win with centerfielder Taylor Brown, shortstop Peyton Hedrick and first baseman Alyson Bishoff collecting three-hit performances.
ACU starting pitcher Casey-May Huff was chased from the game after 2 2/3 innings, after giving up the three runs to the Islanders. Allison Turner came on for the final 4 1/3 innings of work with just a pair of hits against and a trio of punchouts and walks.
Griebel was the lone multi-hit performer for the Blue and Green.
CARTER MAKES HISTORY
In the top of the fourth inning of the first game, Liz Carter struck out ACU catcher Cara Hoover for her 147th punchout of the year. Sitting at 149 for season after Friday's games, Carter will have the fifth-best strikeout total for a single season in school history, following Islander-great and former pitching coach Sarah Pauly.
Carter notched 102 and 109 punchouts during her freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Her ERA of 3.11 is set to be the lowest of her career. Carter has reached these milestones in 50 less innings than what she threw in her first two years on the Island.
For the record holder in strikeouts in a single season, Pauly has untouchable numbers with 266 in 2002, 431 in 2003, 442 in 2004 and a staggering 497 as a senior in 2005.
ON DECK
The Islanders are set to honor their four seniors in Dani Tefft, Alyson Bressie, Stephanie Flores and Cosette Hernandez before the series finale tomorrow afternoon. First pitch on Saturday is slated for noon. The game will be the final home outing for the Blue and Green this season.
STAY SOCIAL
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- Go Islanders -
