CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Through the first two weeks of the 2024 season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team has managed to win games with offense, with defense, with pitching and perhaps with a little bit of good fortune. But Sunday against Stephen F. Austin in the finale of a three-game series at Cabaniss Field, the Islanders won with good old-fashioned grit, gumption and determination.
Trailing for the first time all day with their ace on the mound in relief in the fifth inning, the Islanders nevertheless managed to disregard their disappointment and score a pair of runs over their final two innings to pull out a 3-2 victory and complete a three-game sweep.
"This is such a game of failure. If we make it bigger than it is and get outside of that focus, we will get in trouble," A&M-Corpus Christi coach Kathleen Rodiguez said after her team improved to 6-2. "Our goal is to be one-pitch warriors with the goal of winning each half of the inning on both sides of the ball. I'm beyond proud of our women."
The Islanders managed nine hits, loaded the bases twice and had runners reach second base in four out of their six innings, but they could only manage a single run through four innings against SFA's Alexis Telford. That one run came courtesy of senior third baseman
Kimane Rogron, who blasted a double through the prevailing wind to the wall in centerfield in the second inning, driving in junior first baseman
Monee Montilla.
That run appeared to be enough as Telford and A&M-Corpus Christi freshman
Kendra Winfrey settled into a pitchers' duel. Telford, a lefty with a funky windup and a plus-changeup, went the distance on 110 pitches, continually escaping trouble when the Islanders would mount a challenge.
"I think it was important for me to go back to the basics with shortening my swing, especially with a lot of changeups coming our way," said Rogron, who touched Telford for the double, a triple and scored the eventual winning run. "Our team is mentally tough and doesn't get impacted when we fall behind. We keep fighting until the end."
Winfrey was Telford's equal, allowing no runs, three hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. She was replaced with two outs in the fourth inning by reining Southland Conference Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year,
Primrose Aholelei, who already had recorded a win and a save in the series.
Aholelei gave up a bases-loaded RBI tapper in front of the plate and a bases-loaded walk to surrender the lead, but she settled down to retire seven of the final eight batters she faced. She also managed to get herself another win once the offense got back to work. It was the 22
nd win of her Islanders career, moving her into a tie for fifth place with Dani Damel (2002-04) and Jordan Trujillo (2011-12) on the school's all-time wins list.
As has been their personality thus far, the Islanders responded when challenged. Trailing 2-1, freshman shortstop Kendra Lopez led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to the gap in right-center for A&M-Corpus Christi. She would eventually come around to score on wild pitch to tie the game.
Then, in the sixth inning, Rogron led off with a triple to right that SFA (1-7) right fielder Mikaelah Burkland lost in the sun. However, Rogron appeared destined to be stranded at third after a strikeout and pop out, but junior centerfielder
Sidney Campion managed to beat out a ground ball to second base, allowing Rogron to come home with the winning run.
"It is so hard to sweep," Rodriguez said. "By the third game our opponents have seen our hitters eight-to-12 times, and the game plan and attack are set. It is truly how quickly you can adjust and respond."
Much like the entire series, A&M-Corpus Christi's defense and pitching adjusted and responded magnificently. After winning the first two games by scores of 2-0 and 4-2, the Islanders needed more of the same Sunday.
The Lumberjacks collected seven hits, had four walks and put runners on base in all but one inning. But the Islanders kept SFA scoreless in all but the fifth inning and stranded eight Lumberjacks on base, including the bases loaded once.
"We talk daily about how important it is to play high-level catch and defense," Rodriguez said. "I believe our women did a good job at that all weekend long."
The Islanders hit the road for two long road trips the next two weekends. A&M-Corpus Christi will play the next five games in the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., first against Valparaiso (2-7) at 10 a.m. Friday and host UT Chattanooga (6-4) at 3 p.m. Friday. The Islanders then play Ohio University (6-4) at 10 a.m. Saturday and UT Martin (2-5) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by a single game against Georgetown (6-4) at 10 a.m. Sunday.
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