Southland Series on the Island

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas- Texas A&M Corpus Christi Softball will be hosting a Southland Series against Southeastern Louisiana, here on Chapman Field. The Islanders prepare for a doubleheader opener on Friday, March 16th; the first game slating off at 1 p.m., while the second competition caps off at 3 p.m. The Blue and Green close out the weekend series against the Lady Lions on Saturday at 12 p.m. 

RETURNING FROM HOUSTON
The Islanders competed in a mid-week doubleheader competition against Texas Southern, losing early 6-8 but finishing the Wednesday matchup with a 9-9 draw.

Game One
The Blue and Green started off the first game offensively strong against the Lady Tigers, as Junior outfielder Keagan Helson and Senior infielder Destiney Diaz both registered an RBI to score Freshman's Whitney Wendel and Avery Ratcliff early in the first and second inning. TSU where quick to respond, as they were able to pull together a 3-2 lead at the start of the third inning. Avery Ratcliff pushed the Islanders through the 1-run deficit, sending a moonshot over left center to tie the game 3-3 early in the fourth. Texas Southern trying to keep up with the Islanders momentum, were able to score 2 runners for the 5-3 advantage late in the fourth inning. The Blue and Green did not shy away from the Lady Tigers as the Freshman catcher Kaylee Hoppens doubled to left center, bringing in Keagan Helson and Junior outfielder Kayla Sheridan for a pair of RBI. With the score now being in the Blue and Green's favor (6-5) bottom of the fifth, TSU sent a homer over left field for a three-run RBI that put them back on top. The Lady Tigers pitching staff were capable of holding off the Islanders for the remaining two innings, giving them the 8-6 victory.

Game Two
Paying no mind toward the end-result of Wednesday's first competition against the Texas Southern, Whitney Wendel knocks on the sheet early with a homerun across left field to put the Islanders up 1-0. Following up Wendel's tater, Kaylee Hoppens singled up center field to bring in Kayla Sheridan for an RBI; the Blue and Green lead the Lady Tigers 2-0 at the start of the second inning. TSU were able to breakthrough from an unearned run, cutting the deficit down 2-1 against the Blue and Green late in the third inning. Starting off the fifth inning, Kayla Sheridan sacrificed a grounder to run in Destiney Diaz for a single RBI. Kaylee Hoppens singled down center field to reach first, but was able to advance to second from an TSU error; Keagan Helason and Whitney Wendel, scoring from this error, gave Hoppens the pair of RBI as they now led the Lady Tigers 5-1. Texas Southern clawed their way back into the competition as they brought in four runners back-to-back from a pair of double RBI plays and an Islander error; score now being 5-5 late in the fifth inning. TSU were able to take the lead 8-5, after obtaining two additional unearned runs and a single RBI at the end of the fifth inning. Wendel responded with an unearned run early in the sixth, caused by an error from Texas Southern's short stop. Trailing 6-8, Freshman outfielder Katrina Jackson followed up with a single for a pair of RBI, brining in Ratcliff and Taelor Thomas early in the seventh inning. The Lady Tigers losing the lead once again, after a wild pitch that opened up the home plate for Whitney Wendel to score; Islanders now leading 9-8 top of the 8th. TSU clinched the draw, after a double RBI that gave them their final run late in the ninth inning.

IN THE CIRCLE
>> Junior pitcher Ashley Smith staying strong at the circle, as she has not only started in 13 of her 20 total game appearances for the Blue and Green but also holds a 3.61 ERA from 83.1 innings being under her belt as well.
>> While staying out the circle for the most number of innings, Smith also leads with 29 total strike-outs.
>>Sophomore pitcher Kandace Johnson holds the highest W/L ratio for the Islanders, with a 2.00.
>> Freshman Alexis Tovar, possesses the best BA from our pitching staff entering into this weekends series, being .335.

AT THE PLATE
>> Freshman catcher Whitney Wendel returns from a strong performance against the TSU recording a 0.600 BA, 4 total runs, and a single RBI. 
>> Junior outfielder Kayla Sheridan leads the Islanders batting squad with a 0.330 BA and a 0.351 OB%; tallying down a 0.500 BA, walked once, and putting up a single RBI against the Lady Tigers.
>> Junior outfielder Keagan Helson possesses the highest number of runs for the Blue and Green, being 15, while there is a two way tie for 14 runs between Kayla Sheridan and Whitney Wendel.
>> Helson and Sheridan are in a draw between 32 total bases as they approach this Southland Series on the Island.

SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
>> Senior outfielder Maddie Edmonston leads the Lady Lions with a 0.327 BA and a 0.407 OB%.
>> Senior infielder Mahalia Gibson trailing Edomonston with a 0.315 BA, however, the Mississippi native holds a 0.671 SLG%, 49 total bases, 22 RBI's, and 23 hits.
>> Junior outfielder Jaquelyn Ramon possesses the most number of runs for the Lady Lions, being 14.
>> Sophomore pitcher Tanner Wright holds a 2.21 ERA with a W/L record of 3-1.
>> The Lady Lions previous competition was against Ole Miss, where they were edged by the Rebels 8-0. Ole Miss collecting 11 total hits from SLU's pitching staff, only allowing Southeastern to notch down 2 single hits.

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders travel to Natchitoches, La., where they will face Northwestern in a Southland Series on March 23rd and 24th. Series opener slating off on Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., while the concluding contest begins at 1 p.m.

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