Offensive Eruption Lifts Islanders Over UIW

SAN ANTONIO – An offensive explosion occurred on Friday at Cardinals Field, as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team kicked off its final regular season series with an 11-3 drubbing of the University of Incarnate Word. A&M-Corpus Christi picked up its second victory in a run-ruled contest this year.

Nine different Islanders recorded a hit in the victory, led by Dani Tefft's second three-hit game of the season. The run production did not fall to a select few, as seven members of the Blue and Green tallied an RBI. 15 hits marked the season high for A&M-Corpus Christi and the most since a 17-hit outing last year at Abilene Christian.

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The Islanders fell behind early in the second inning when Mikeala Flores homered. UIW added another run five batters later on a single to center. Despite the pair of runs, Liz Carter picked up three strikeouts in the frame.

Adriana Farris pulled the Islanders within one on the fourth pitch of her at-bat to leadoff the third. The Spring, Texas, native sent a screamer over the wall in left for her second homer of the year. Cosette Hernandez leveled proceedings with her eighth RBI of the year on a one-out double.

After a silent fourth inning for both teams, the Islanders' offense exploded in the fifth the most productive inning of the year, as the Blue and Green poured eight runs on eight hits in the frame.

Dani Teft got things started with a two-RBI single to break the deadlock with Hernandez and Megan Mitchell crossing the plate. Candice Hadd extended her team-leading RBI tally to 19 in the next at-bat.

Jessica Mendez made it 7-2 with a pair of RBI, before Aspen Auger drilled a double to left field to add another run. Farris added to the lead with an RBI on her second at-bat of the inning. Mitchell followed suit up next with an RBI single to center to cap the rally with a 10-2 lead.

UIW scratched a lone run back in the bottom half of the fifth, but Auger countered the comeback bid with her second run batted in the sixth. The Austin, Texas, native ripped a single through the right side to ensure a shortened game.

Liz Carter took her first no decision of the year following two innings of work. The Austin, Texas, native was replaced after giving up a leadoff single in the third by rookie Colleen Bentke. Carter finished the day scattering three hits and allowing two runs, one earned, with one walk and a trio of punchouts.

Bentke notched her fifth win of the season for her performance in the final four innings. Three hits, an unearned run and two walks was all the damage the Cardinals could manage against the freshman southpaw. As a replacement for Carter, Bentke had to take the junior's place in the lineup, meaning that the College Station, Texas, native registered her first three at-bats of her career.

For the opponents, UIW had Danielle Ramirez and Mikaela Flores power its offense with multi-hit performances. The Islanders confounded a trio of Cardinals hurlers, with Bridget Stein settling for the loss after giving up the lion's share of the runs against the Blue and Green.

BALLGAME. We're just going to let this picture tell the story. #GoDers pic.twitter.com/NA5dvGAtwQ

— Islander Softball (@IslandersSball) May 7, 2016

THANKS SET

Even with two games remaining in the season, Cosette Hernandez became the only player in Islanders history to strikeout less than 25 times after making 300 plate appearances. Of the senior's 303 career at-bats, 20 have resulted in a straight trip back to the dugout.

Hernandez played in her final game in the Blue and Green tonight. The pre-dental major will return to the Island tomorrow to be a part of a mandatory review for her academic program.

ON DECK

The Islanders will wrap their season with a doubleheader against the Cardinals starting at noon. Tefft, Alyson Bressie and Stephanie Flores will put the Blue and Green on for the final time.