HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Pitching and defense ruled the day during Friday's doubleheader between the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team and Sam Houston State. Both teams combined for three runs, 13 hits and 23 strikeouts, as the two clubs split the two games at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
In the series opener,
Liz Carter tossed a two-hitter and
Megan Mitchell drove in the winning run in the seventh inning, as the Islanders (7-27, 2-12) topped the Bearkats (17-21, 8-9) 1-0.
The hosts responded in game two with a 2-0 victory behind a three-hitter from Lindsey McLeod.
Defensively, the Islanders played error free in both contests. Carter (6-13) tossed 10 1/3 innings of shutout ball with six strikeouts.
GAME 1
The series opener was all about the pitching duel between Carter and Tayler Atkinson (7-12) with a pair of no-hit bids that lasted until the fifth. Combined, the two hurlers kept batters off balance all day, allowing one run and four hits.
Carter carried her bid into the fifth before a leadoff single by Kaitlynn Dawson broke it up. The Austin native allowed just one more base knock in the sixth to complete the shutout with five strikeouts. Carter never allowed a batter to advance beyond first.
Atkinson kept her no-hitter together until the seventh inning, when the Islanders stuck for the win.
Aspen Auger hit a hard chopper to short and beat out the throw with one out.
Alexis Richardson, who came in as a pinch runner, advanced to second on a groundout by Carter. Standing on second with two outs, Richardson came home as Mitchel drove a 2-2 pitch to center to give the Islanders the lead.
The win snapped a six-game skid for the Blue and Green.
GAME 2
The Islanders could not find an answer to McLeod (7-5) in the second game, as the Bearkats' pitcher stuck out 11 in the shutout.
Emily Bounds gave Sam Houston State and early lead in the second with a single to deep left field to score Megan McDonald from second. Megan Crosby extended the lead an inning later with a nearly identical hit to left to reach second and plate Tiffany Thompson from second.
Islanders starting pitcher
Kandace Johnson (1-14) was saddled with the loss after giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Mackinzee Griebel,
Kandace Johnson and
Lexi Shaw notched the three hits for the Blue and Green.
ON DECK
The two sides will face each other in the rubber match on Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
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- Go Islanders -
