SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Securing its fifth consecutive victory, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team concluded the I-35 Tournament with a 6-5 edge over Abilene Christian Sunday at Roadrunner Field to go unbeaten on the weekend.
The Islanders (7-2) trailed Abilene Christian (3-7) 3-2 through five innings, but A&M-Corpus Christi plated four runs in the sixth including a three-run home run by freshman
Crystal Davila to make it 6-3. The Wildcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but the rally fell short as the Islanders earned the 6-5 edge.
Davila's home run was just one of three hits of hers on the day, as she went 3-for-4 at the plate while also recording four RBIs and a run of herself. Junior
Kimane Rogron also turned in a multi-hit day, her second of the weekend and fifth of the season.
Six other Islanders registered a hit including seniors
Quinn De Avila and
Alexandria Torres who each scored a run as well.
Freshman
Ariella Saenz made her first career start in the circle for the Islanders and put in 4.1 innings of work. Junior
Sydney Hoyt came left her position at first base to enter the circle as relief in the sixth where the Islanders got the final four outs of the game to secure the win.
ACU plated two runs in the opening inning for an early 2-0 lead. Senior
Gabriella Torres drew the lead-off walk in the top of the second before Rogron's single advanced her to second. G. Torres then stole third and home to get the Islanders on the board, as they trailed 2-1 through three.
Rogron singled again in the fourth, stole second and then advanced to third on the passed ball to get into scoring position. Davila singled through the left side to send Rogron home as the Islanders tied it 2-2.
The Wildcats scored one in the bottom of the fifth to lead it 3-2. The Islanders answered in the next frame, however, as De Avila and freshman
Paolina Baez reached base before Davila headed to the plate and blasted it over the left field fence for the three-run home run.
The Islanders weren't done yet as A. Torres, junior
Juliana J. Garcia and Hoyt all notched another hit to plate A. Torres for the 6-3 lead.
Another two runs for the Wildcats came in the bottom frame but Hoyt came in as relief and retired the final batter to extinguish ACU's threat. ACU got a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh but G. Torres caught her stealing and Hoyt got the final batter swinging to hold on for the 6-5 win.
The Islanders have now beaten ACU three times in the last nine days to complete the season-sweep over the Wildcats. Prior to the streak, the Islanders hadn't beaten ACU since 2018.
The 7-2 start is the team's second best to a season in program history, behind 2005 when the Islanders started 9-0.
That record will be put to the test next weekend as the Islanders head to Baton Rouge to face Power-Five LSU and UL-Lafayette in their third tournament of the season.
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islanderssball).
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