Softball Caps Historic Weekend with Another Shutout over Lamar to Complete Sweep

BEAUMONT, Texas – It had been years since the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball program accomplished as much in a single weekend, as the Islanders completed a three-game sweep over Lamar with a 6-0 win Sunday at the LU Softball Complex.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi (12-11, 5-1 SLC) is off to its best start in conference play since 2011.
 
Sophomore Beatriz Lara threw 5.1 shutout innings improve to 8-2 on the season. Freshman Audrey McNeill entered in relief and gave up just one hit in 1.2 frames. Four of her five outs were via strikeout. Neither pitcher walked a Lamar (2-24, 0-6 SLC) batter.
 
At the plate, sophomores Sammi Thomas and Ashleigh Sgambelluri each knocked a pair of hits. Thomas was 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored, while Sgambelluri was 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Thomas' home run came in the first inning to put the Islanders on the board. It came on a 2-2 pitch and cleared the fence in left field.
 
The game was close until the fifth inning when A&M-Corpus Christi broke it open with four runs. Hits by freshman Alexandria Torres and freshman Alie Alcantar put runners on, and they both came in to score on a two RBI double by Sgambelluri. The Islanders increased the lead to 5-0 on a two RBI hit by freshman Haley Morse.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi added one more for good measure in the seventh. It loaded the bases on a hit by Thomas, a double by Sgambelluri and a hit-by-pitch by sophomore Pal Egan. Thomas then came to score on an RBI ground out by junior Tiler Noyola to make it 6-0.
 
The Islanders out-hit the Cardinals 9-4.
 
For the series, A&M-Corpus Christi out-scored Lamar 23-0, including a 34-9 edge in hits. Thomas hit for a .636 average and 1.273 slugging with two doubles, a triple and a homer. Sgambelluri posted a .600 average and .800 slugging, and Morse submitted a .545 average and .636 slugging.
 
Lamar was picked to finish eighth in the SLC Preseason Poll, three spots ahead of A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi improved to 10-0 on the year when leading after four innings. It has outscored the opposition 13-1 in the seventh.
 
The Islanders will be back at home Wednesday for a mid-week doubleheader when they host Tarleton State at 12 p.m. at Chapman Field.
 
Historic Notes
- It was the first time in program history that the Islanders shutout an SLC team over an entire three-game series since joining the league in 2007. The last time anyone in the conference did it was 2017 when McNeese zeroed Sam Houston 10-0, 8-0 and 7-0.
 
- It was the program's first SLC series win on the road since 2018 when it took two of three from Incarnate Word. That was also the team's first SLC series win home or away prior to last weekend against Sam Houston.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi swept a three-game series for the first time since 2015 when it hosted Incarnate Word. It was also the first road series sweep since that same year against SHSU.
 
- The Islanders posted back-to-back series wins for the first time since 2015 when they took two of three from Abilene Christian and swept Incarnate Word.
 
- The program posted three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2015 when it blanked Stephen F. Austin 1-0 and Sam Houston 3-0 and 6-0.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi won a series over Lamar for the first time since 2014 when it swept a three-game set in Beaumont.
 
- The 23 runs were the most the Islanders scored in a series since 2011 when they swept Southeastern Louisiana 16-0, 11-3 and 6-1.
 
Stay Social
For more information on Islanders Softball, keep up with the team via their Facebook page (Islanders Softball) and follow the program on Twitter (@IslandersSball) and Instagram (islanderssball). 
 
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