CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Junior
Primrose Aholelei of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team pitched a complete-game no-hitter to initiate an undefeated day for the Islanders who swept the doubleheader with Prairie View A&M 1-0 and 9-1 on Tuesday at Chapman Field.
The Islanders (12-9) got off to a slow start on the day, not being able to plate a run until the bottom of the seventh to walk-off game one 1-0 over the Panthers (1-13). Though, A&M-Corpus Christi finally heated up in game two and exploded in the bottom of the sixth to earn its second victory of the day in a 9-1 run-rule.
Aholelei, the reigning SLC Pitcher of the Week, threw her ninth complete game of the season in game one, third complete-game shutout, and first career no-hitter. She struck out 10 batters through her seven innings of work, her third time this year to strike out 10 in a game.
Sophomore
Paolina Baez walked it off in game one, driving in senior
Quinn De Avila for the game-winning run. In game two, junior
Sidney Campion went 4-for-4 at the plate to contribute to A&M-Corpus Christi's slugfest in addition to garnering two runs and two RBIs.
Junior
Sydney Hoyt got the win in the circle in game two, throwing her first complete game of the season along with striking out two and only allowing one earned run.
GAME ONE – A&M-Corpus Christi 1, Prairie View A&M 0
Senior
Alexandria Torres reached base as the lead-off hitter and got to second on a stolen base but couldn't round home.
The Islanders threatened with base runners again in the fourth, after Hoyt and junior
Kimane Rogron hit consecutive singles for first and second positions. Freshman
Crystal Davila's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, but the Panthers stranded them to keep A&M-Corpus Christi scoreless.
Aholelei continued to retire the batters to prevent a hit and the Islanders headed to the bottom of the seventh with the opportunity. An error by the Panthers put a runner on base with no outs before sophomore
Monee Montilla singled to right field to get De Avila to second. Baez then singled to center field which was enough to drive De Avila home for the walk-off victory.
GAME TWO – A&M-Corpus Christi 9, Prairie View A&M 1
The Panthers got their first hit of the day to lead off game two, but Hoyt retired the next nine straight to keep them scoreless through three.
A&M-Corpus Christi reached base in every inning, starting with an infield single by Campion in the first. Davila singled in the second, but Campion and Torres each registered a hit in the third to finally get a run on the board for the 1-0 lead.
Two more runs came in the fifth for the Islanders as Torres and Campion each got another hit to reach base before Hoyt drove both of them in the next at-bat. Prairie View answered with its first run of the day in the next frame as the Islanders led it 3-1 heading to the sixth.
Davila and Baez both drew a walk to open the bottom of the sixth before sophomore
Rhea-Ann Avalos singled to load the bases. Campion earned her fourth hit of the day with a single up the middle to plate Davila. Two costly errors by the Panthers scored three more Islanders and back-to-back walks scored Montilla for A&M-Corpus Christi's ninth and final run of the day.
It is the second year in a row that the Islanders swept Prairie View A&M in a home doubleheader, with both game ones being a walk-off victory for A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders lead the Panthers 31-11 all-time and improved to 20-7 at home.
The Islanders will take a breather and get back to action at home on March 16 for their conference opener against HCU.
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islanderssball).
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