Promising Finish at Prairie View

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball split their mid-week doubleheader contest against Prairie View A&M on April 17th. Being hosted by the Lady Panthers, the Blue and Green fell short in the final inning of the first game 1-0 but were able to brush off the small loss and overtake the closing competition 11-4. 

Game One
Defense was the main key-point that both TAMU-CC and PVAMU heavily focused toward implementing in the opening match, as freshman pitcher Alexis Tovar recorded 4 total strikeouts and Lady Panther Taylor Drury tallied 6 K's and a single walk. All six frames of the competition were scoreless, as the Islanders and Prairie-View batting squad attempted to knock with a single hit. Determined to progress toward extra innings, the Lady Panthers were able to clinch a single run at the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory. The teams kept it an even game before the Panthers scored in the last inning to win 1-0. Alexis Tovar started for the Islanders in the circle throwing 4 strikeouts, a new season high, and 0 walks.

KEY INNINGS
-Bottom of the Seventh
>> The Panthers ended the inning with 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base

Game Two
After falling short in the first game, the Blue and Green came out of the dugout offensively strong and set the tone early against the Lady Panthers. Freshman class staying offensively persistent on the plate, as Avery Ratcliff knocked on the sheet first with a run that was assisted by a single to first from Taelor Thomas. The Islanders continued to stay on the attack early in the third inning, as Destiney Diaz singled up the middle to score Junior team-members Kayla Sheridan and Keagan Helson for a pair of RBI. Prairie View took action late in the third, as they were able to construct a single run. With the score now being 2-1, the Blue and Green relapsed in their offensive frenzy once again as Freshman outfielder Taelor Thomas sent a homer across center field to score Avery Ratcliff for a two-run RBI top of the fourth. Quick to respond, however, as PVAMU were also able to register a homerun of their own that closed the gap 5-2. The Islanders continued to come along the plate in the fifth frame, as Sophomore pitcher Kandace Johnson assisted Freshman Kaylee Hoppens obtain a run from a single to right field. Johnson being able to register a run of her own in the fifth inning as Junior infielder Kaylon Dunn singled toward center field for an RBI. The Lady Panthers resisted to surrender toward the 7-2 deficit, as they pulled together two more additional runs at the bottom of the fifth. The Blue and Green secured the victory in the final two innings, as they registered four additional runs that put them up 11-4.


KEY INNINGS
-Top of the 2nd
>> Avery Ratcliff drew a walk with 2 outs
>> Alexis Tovar reached on an error by 3rd base advancing Ratcliff to 3rd
>>  Tovar stole second for her first steal of the season
>> Taelor Thomas singled to first base for a RBI to score Ratcliff and advance Tovar to 3rd

-Top of the 3rd
>> Keagan Helson drew a walk
>> Kayla Sheridan singled to left field advancing to Helson to 2nd 
>> Destiney Diaz singled up the middle advancing Sheridan and Helson to score
>> The Islanders ended the inning with 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base

-Bottom of the 3rd
>> C. Lavergne doubled down the right field line scoring K. Hunter
>> The Panthers ended the inning with 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base

-Top of the 4th
>> Avery Ratcliff walked
>> Taelor Thomas hit a 2-run-homerun

-Bottom of the 4th
> D. Hinton hit a homerun

-Top of the 5th
>> Kaylee Hoppens singled down the right field line, advancing to second on the throw
>> Kandace Johnson singled to right field, advancing to second on the throw, scoring Hoppens
>> Kaylon Dunn singled, advancing to second on the throw, scoring Johnson
>> The Islanders ended the inning with 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base

-Bottom of the 5th
>> PVAMU ended the inning with 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base

-Top of the 7th
>> Kandace Johnson bunted advancing Kaylee Hoppens to 2nd
>> Destiney Diaz got out from a SAC bunt advancing Johnson to 2nd and Hoppens to 3rd
>> Kaylon Dunn singled for 2 RBI scoring Johnson and HoTaelor Thomas Alexis Tovar singled to left center scoring Ratcliff
>> Taelor Thomas reached on an error by shortstop advancing Tovar to 2nd
>> Keagan Helson singled to shortstop to load the bases
>> The Blue and Green ended the inning with 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 error, and 3 left onKeagan Helsone lead 11-4.

AT THE PLATE
>> Keagan Helson, Kandace Johnson, Kaylon Dunn, and Taelor Thomas all went 2-for-4 at the plate in the concluding competitioTaelor Thomas Lady Panthers on April 17th. Out of those very four hitters, Taelor Thomas registered the only homerun that was obtained by the Blue in Green in Tuesdays contest. The Houston native now holds 2 total moonshots in her collegiate career, with a season high of 3 RBI's .
>> Avery Ratcliff went 1-for-2 at the plate, but pulled together 3 total runs for the Islanders in the second game against PVAMU. The Freshman infielder now has 18 runs under her belt as she heads into their next competition.
>> Both Kandace Johnson and Kaylee Hoppens registered 2 runs that extended the Islanders final score of 11-4 against the Lady Panthers in the concluding competition. Johnson's previous two-run performance was against the Lady Panthers on February 21st, while Hoppens was on the 4th of March against Texas Southern.

IN THE CIRCLE
>> Pitching all seven total innings Alexis Tovar threw a season high of 4 strikeouts in a complete game against the Lady Panthers on April 17th. The Freshman pitcher currently holds a 8.10 ERA with 37 total strikeouts under her belt.
>> Kandace Johnson took the reins in the second contest, throwing 2 K's and walking 3 Lady Panthers. The Atascocita native possesses a 6.39 ERA and 41 total strikeouts in the circle for the Blue and Green

COMING UP NEXT
In the third to last Southland Conference Series, the Islanders will travel to Houston to face Houston Baptist in a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. The final game of the series will be played on Saturday at 12 p.m.

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