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HAMMOND, Louisiana – For the first time in 10 years, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team got a win in the Southland Conference Tournament, taking down Nicholls 7-2 on Wednesday at North Oak Park.
After almost a two-hour delay with games going long, the No. 3 Islanders (24-26, 11-7) finally took to field to take on No. 7 Nicholls (12-38, 4-14) in a win or go home matchup. With three home runs in the game, A&M-Corpus Christi took the game to survive and advance to the next round.
The first round of scoring came in the second inning when junior
Madison Garza hit a high solo home run to left, her first of the season, to get things rolling for the Islanders. Then, doubles by freshman
Paolina Baez and sophomore
Sydney Hoyt got three more runs on the board for the 4-0 lead.
The Colonels responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to bring the game within two, but it would be the only runs by Nicholls the rest of the game.
Sophomore
Gabriella Torres hit the second solo home run of the game in the top of the fourth to plate A&M-Corpus Christi's fifth run of the day.
In the top of the fifth, Garza got her second hit of the day with a single through the left side on the first pitch thrown to her. A stolen base and a sacrifice bunt by senior
Grace Gilbert advanced Garza to third by the time junior
Pal Egan headed to the plate.
Egan, who was named the conference's Player and Hitter of the Year, got set in the box and on the 0-1 count, hit the ball hard and far over the right field fence for the to-run home run, her 11
th of the season and the team's third of the game. It brought the game to a 7-2 score and with quick fifth, sixth and seventh innings for the defense, the Islanders won the ballgame.
Gilbert made the start and threw her seventh complete game of the season to improve her record to a winning 9-8. She struck out six Colonels through the seven innings of work, only allowing two runs off three hits.
Four Islanders turned in multi-hit games including junior
Ashleigh Sgambelluri and sophomore
Kimane Rogron. Sgambelluri is on a six-game hitting streak while Egan is now on a 27-game streak of reaching base.
The Islanders continue their campaign for the program's first ever tournament title, set to play No. 4 Northwestern State (29-21, 10-8) Wednesday at 11 a.m. The winner will go on to play the winner between No. 5 UIW and No. 6 HBU the same day at 4 p.m. That game's victor would then have to play again at 6:30 p.m. against the loser of No. 1 McNeese versus No. 2 Southeastern for the chance to advance to the championship match on Friday.
The Southland Tournament champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament. Regional competition at the NCAA Tournament will be held May 20-22 at sites to be determined.
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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