A&M-Corpus Christi Opens SLC Play at Home against SHSU

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In its first conference series of the season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball program will host Sam Houston in a three-game set at Chapman Field.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi (7-9) and SHSU (3-11) will play a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. Friday and will close it out with a game Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
The two teams will pick up where the schedule left off last year as they were supposed to play each other in their next games before COVID-19 canceled the season.
 
The Islanders have played back-to-back ranked opponents in their last two games. They held three leads against No. 23 Iowa State last weekend, and then brought the tying run to the plate Wednesday at No. 10 Texas. Despite the defeats, both A&M-Corpus Christi put up fights in both games. The Islanders also played No. 11 Oklahoma State two times earlier this year.
 
Sophomore Pal Egan has reached base safely in all 16 games. She's hitting for a team-high .341 average and .526 on-base percentage. This past weekend, Egan notched a .500 (7-14) average over five games at the UT Arlington Invitational. She recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the year Wednesday at No. 10 Texas.
 
Egan is one of four Islanders to start in every game this season along with junior Tiler Noyola and sophomores Ashleigh Sgambelluri and Sammi Thomas. Despite those four being staples to the batting order, A&M-Corpus Chrisi has used 16 different lineups in 16 games this season.
 
Junior Kennedy Jimenez is hitting for a .455 average in six games this year. She's coming off a two-hit outing at No. 10 Texas. It was her second multi-hit game of the year after also going two-for-three in a win over Wichita State.
 
In the circle, sophomore Beatriz Lara has led the team with a 4-1 record. She carries a team-best 3.22 ERA and has thrown two complete games in six starts. Lara has wins this year over UT Arlington, UTSA, Tarleton State and Texas Southern.
 
The Islanders are a perfect 6-0 on the year when leading after four innings. A&M-Corpus Christi has outscored the opposition 12-1 in the seventh inning this year.
 
Like A&M-Corpus Christi, SHSU has played a difficult schedule which included defeats to No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 10 Texas, No. 17 Missouri, No. 24 Texas State and Ole Miss. The Bearkats have wins this year over Houston, UL-Monroe and Lamar.
 
SHSU was picked to finish fourth out of 12 in the SLC Preseason Poll. Freshman Ellie Grill leads the team with a .389 average and .450 on-base percentage and has started all 14 games at first base.
 
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