CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Throwing her third consecutive complete game shutout, junior
Primrose Aholelei secured the win in game one for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team against Lamar as the teams split the doubleheader Friday at Chapman Field to force a rubber match on Saturday.
The Islanders (19-16, 7-7 SLC) took game one 1-0 after junior
Juliana J. Garcia took advantage of a Cardinal (12-29, 5-9 SLC) error in the first as Aholelei kept them scoreless the whole way. Game two had the Islanders score twice also in the first inning but Lamar was able to plate three to split the day.
Game one marked A&M-Corpus Christi's sixth shutout victory of the season with Aholelei pitching every single one. She struck out six in the two-hitter for her 17
th complete game of the season. In her last five appearances, Aholelei has thrown 34.0 innings while only giving up seven runs.
Aholelei opened play in the circle by striking out the side as the Cardinals went down swinging.
Garcia then doubled as the lead-off to start the day, getting into scoring position quickly. Junior
Sidney Campion reached base in the next at-bat to advance Garcia to third while the next play featured a fielding error on the Lamar pitcher to drive Garcia home for the 1-0 lead.
Senior
Gabriella Torres and junior
Alina Jasso each notched singles in game one, but the lone run would be enough to secure the win. In the top of the seventh, Lamar threatened with a base hit as the go-ahead run headed to the plate.
It would prove to be futile, though, as Jasso caught the fly ball and threw it in for the infield to complete the double play, getting the runner out at first after not tagging up to end the game.
In game two, Torres drew the two-out walk in the first to advance junior
Taniece Tyson to second. Junior
Kimane Rogron then heading to the plate and doubled down the left field line to drive Tyson home for the 1-0 lead.
Sophomore
Paolina Baez kept the inning alive with the infield single to score Torres as the Islanders went up 2-0.
The quick start wouldn't hold, however, as Lamar finally got on the board with runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to reverse the lead 3-2.
With a last effort in the bottom of the seventh, freshman
Crystal Davila got hit by pitch to be placed on base as the lead-off. Senior
Alexandria Torres came in as a pinch runner and made it all the way to third, but the Islanders couldn't tie or walk-it off as Lamar took game two.
It will be the first rubber match of the season for A&M-Corpus Christi, as the deciding game three is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday. The Islanders will be looking for their second series win in conference play after sweeping A&M-Commerce last weekend. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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@IslandersSball) and Instagram (
islanderssball).
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