SAN ANTONIO – There are days you'd just like to forget. The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team found itself immersed in one of those days Friday.
Playing its second Southland Conference series of the season, the Islanders never could find its footing and ended up on the bad side of a 6-2, 11-2 doubleheader sweep. Game 2 was stopped after six innings because of the run-rule.
"UIW was better than us today," A&M-Corpus Christi coach
Kathleen Rodriguez said. "They executed on both sides of the ball, and they did it well. You just have to tip your hat to them."
The threat of weather changed the series format from a doubleheader Saturday to a doubleheader Friday. And while the weather cooperated, the Cardinals didn't.
The day got off to an ominous start as A&M-Corpus Christi (15-8 overall, 3-2 SLC) fell behind early after getting two on with one out in the first inning and failing to score. UIW countered by scoring two on a two-run single with two outs. The Cardinals went up 4-0 an inning later, then added two more in the fourth to go up 6-0 and knock A&M-Corpus Christi ace
Primrose Aholelei from the game.
Aholelei was uncharacteristically ineffective, allowing all six runs on six hits and two walks in 3.1 innings. More surprisingly still, the nation's second-leading strikeout artist faced 19 batters and struck out just one of them.
Islander hitters had no such luck against UIW freshman phenom Larissa Jacquez. The SLC's ERA leader heading into the game, Jacquez allowed two earned runs on six hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts.
"We let too many pitches go by," Rodriguez said. "We were not as aggressive as we needed to be at the plate. We got behind a few balls tonight as well, but we either hit it right to them or they made a beautiful play. And we worked from behind in the count too many times in the circle defensively."
Taniece Tyson went 2-for-3 to raise her average to .417, while
Alina Jasso,
Sidney Campion,
Crystal Davila and
Felixia Hinojosa each added a hit. Campion's hit was a double that drove in the Islanders' first run of the game, while Hinojosa singled in the other run with two outs in the seventh.
It was more of the same in Game 2, only this time the Cardinals needed just one inning to go up 4-0. UIW loaded the bases with no outs, then eventually scored four times on six singles against A&M-Corpus Christi starter
Ariella Saenz.
The Islanders showed some fight by answering with two runs in the top of the second.
Monee Montilla led off with a single, followed by a walk to
Paolina Baez. Hinojosa reached on a fielder's choice, then
Kimane Rogron drove in A&M-Corpus Christi's first run of the game with single to center. After another single to center from
Rhea-Ann Avalos,
Karisa Lopez drove in the Islanders' final run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right.
Malia Williams replaced Saenz in the second inning and was pulled after allowing the first two batters to reach base and going to a 3-0 count on UIW's best hitter, Victoria Altamirano. Primrose was called in to put out the flames, which she did in short order.
Aholelei struck out Altamirano on a high fastball, then got a pair of ground ball outs to end the threat. She then got a 1-2-3 inning in the third – A&M-Corpus Christi's first 1-2-3 inning of the day – and another in the fifth. But it was the fourth and sixth innings that proved to be too much to overcome.
UIW scored three in the fourth on three hits, a walk and a hit batter, then triggered the run-rule by scoring four in the sixth on three hits and another walk. While she didn't take the loss, Aholelei had another rough outing with seven earned runs on six hits on two walks.
"Tough day today," Rodriguez said. "We will reflect, look at some of our at-bats, adjust and approach the game differently tomorrow."
TAMUCC (15-8, 3-2 SLC)
Friday, March 15 – vs. UIW, L (6-2)
Friday, March 15 – vs. UIW, L (11-2, 6 inn.)
Saturday, March 16 – vs. UIW (13-6), 1 p.m., HEB Field, San Antonio
On Deck: Following the series with UIW, the Islanders will travel to Prairie View for a midweek doubleheader against Prairie View A&M. Game 1 will start at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, with Game 2 starting approximately 30 minutes after Game 1.
Next Home Game: The Islanders begin a three-game SLC series against Northwestern State on Friday, March 22 at Chapman Field. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon Friday followed by a single game beginning at noon Saturday, March 23.
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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