CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Opening the final series of their career, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball seniors
Liz Carter and
Mackinzee Griebel left everything on the field in Friday's doubleheader against the University of the Incarnate Word at Chapman Field.
In the opener, Carter (10-18) struck out a season-high 12 batters, as the Islanders (12-35, 4-19) topped the Cardinals (12-40, 5-21) 3-1.
Griebel sealed her first season with a .300-plus batting average with a 3-for-3, three-RBI performance in the second game, but UIW outhit the Blue and Green 14-11 to set a up rubber match on Saturday with a 9-6 win.
GAME 1
Carter was untouchable early, fanning five of the first seven UIW batters. The Cardinals could only touch Carter on a pair of bunt base hits through five innings. In addition to the 12 punchouts, Carter scattered five hits and gave up one run in the victory.
Along with her 25th complete game of the season in the circle, Carter helped herself out with a 3-for-3 outing at the plate with one RBI and one run.
Kandace Johnson and
Lexi Shaw added the other two base hits for the Blue and Green.
Corpus Christi struck first in the bottom of the second. The Islanders loaded the bases with two outs on a Carter single, an
Aspen Auger walk and
Megan Mitchell reaching on a throwing error. On a 3-1 count, Shaw took an inside pitch off the back to put the first run of the game on the board.
Carter chipped in an insurance run in the third with an RBI infield single to plate Johnson from second.
Mackinzee Griebel put the Blue and Green in front by three in the fifth inning, as the Lockhart native scored Shaw on an RBI groundout to short.
UIW managed to apply some pressure in sixth by loading the bases with two outs. After Kristin Hebert singled in Christy Trevino to put the Cardinals on the board, Carter responded with a strikeout to end the sixth.
GAME 2
Both clubs poured on the offense in the second game with a combined 15 runs on 25 hits and five errors.
Delaney Guzman opened her 2-for-4 performance with an RBI infield single to make it 2-0 UIW in the top of the first, following an RBI groundout from Kristin Hebert.
The Blue and Green countered in the bottom half with two runs to tie the game.
Savannah Sandoval,
Mackinzee Griebel and
Kandace Johnson notched back-to-back-to-back singles to open the game, with the latter driving in a pair of runs.
Corpus Christi took the lead an inning later when Griebel beat out a possibly inning-ending throw from short to score
Lexi Shaw from third.
Mikaela Flores evened the scores in the third with a first-pitch over the wall in left field. Brigitte Gauvin put the visitors ahead on a double to right three batters later, as the Cardinal scored two on five hits. Flores came through in the fourth to add a pair of runs to the UIW lead with a two-RBI single to left center.
Battling back with the bases loaded, Griebel laced a 2-1 pitch up the middle to bring in two and cut the deficit down to one. Carter, who came in to pitch for starting pitcher
Kandace Johnson (2-17) in the fourth, worked herself out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth, before retiring the side in the sixth.
Up by one entering the seventh, the Cardinals sealed the win with a trio of runs, as Danielle Ramirez drove in two runs on a one-out single before scoring on a wild pitch during the next at-bat.
Carter pitched four innings of relief, striking out one and surrendering six hits and three earned runs, while Johnson tossed three innings and gave six scores, three earned on eight hits. Johnson, Shaw and
Aspen Auger added multi-hit games for the Blue and Green.
SENIOR CELEBRATION
Prior to Saturday's rubber match, the Islanders will honor the career accomplishments of seniors
Liz Carter and
Mackinzee Griebel. The first 50 fans to the game will receive and Islanders koozie. The Islanders Student-Athlete Activities Committee will once again be taking donations for Samaritan's Feet before the game.
STAY SOCIAL
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- Go Islanders -
