Box Score HOUSTON – It was one of the strangest no-hitters anyone could remember, but it still wasn't enough to deny the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team.
With a series win at stake Friday against Houston Christian, the Islanders went hitless for six innings, still had a lead, fought off a rally, then staged a rally of their own to win 3-2 and win the series two games to one.
"Our girls fight," A&M-Corpus Christi coach
Kathleen Rodriguez said. "We preach fighting until the last out is made."
The Islanders (19-11 overall, 7-5 in the Southland Conference) showed plenty of fight Friday.
Four of the first five batters of the game for A&M-Corpus Christi drew a walk, the last of which to
Paolina Baez drove in the first run of the game.
Crystal Davila then added a sacrifice fly, and after a half an inning, the Islanders had a 2-0 lead without the benefit of a hit.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, it stayed that way for the next five innings. Yet as has been the case on more than one occasion this season, it didn't matter much because of the reigning SLC Pitcher of the Year.
Primrose Aholelei was showcasing her usual brilliance, tossing up zeros and keeping the 2-0 lead safe. The senior from Hawaii was working on a no-hitter of her own, allowing just two baserunners over the first three innings thanks to a walk and a hit-by-pitch. But then the fourth inning started, and the game's complexion changed.
HCU's Jasie Roberts singled on the first pitch of the fourth, then light-hitting second baseman Kaicey Hagler turned on a 1-0 pitch and deposited it over the left-field wall. It was the fifth home run allowed by Aholelei this season, but the first since she allowed all four home runs over a stretch of three consecutive games more than a month ago.
Suddenly tied 2-2 with a load of momentum staring them in the face, the Islanders desperately looked for a way to fix their offensive woes.
"We hit the ball hard, and a few times throughout the game it either went right to them or they made really good plays," Rodriguez said. "Prim was rolling. I thought Prim regrouped well after that (home run)."
She had to.
As the Islanders continued to wait for someone to break the ice, Aholelei kept her team afloat. She got a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with her seventh and final strikeout of the game. It came at exactly the right time, as the offense finally … thankfully … joyously made its arrival.
Davila led off the seventh by smacking the first pitch she saw through the left side. Not only was it A&M-Corpus Christi's first hit of the game, but it also marked just the second baserunner for the Islanders since the first inning.
"I was trying to be aggressive there," Davila said. "The plan was to be ready to swing at a good pitch early in the count if it was in my zone. It definitely felt like breaking the ice, and getting that first hit gave us momentum. As a team, we were definitely looking for someone to start off the inning with a good hit, and I'm glad I could contribute to that. It felt great to be the one to get things started for us."
With one out and Davila still on first, pinch-hitter
Sydney Hoyt doubled to right field on the first pitch she saw, sending Davila to third.
Felixia Hinojosa, who entered the game a half-inning earlier, then lined a 1-0 pitch just inside the third-base bag for A&M-Corpus Christi's third and final hit of the inning and the game.
The single fittingly drove in Davila with the eventual winning run, giving the Islanders a 3-2 lead.
"Crystal got behind the ball well all day," Rodriguez said. "Hoyt following up with a clutch pinch-hit double set it up perfectly for Isha to bring Crystal in with that strong single down the line. I was proud of our focus and resiliency throughout the game."
Aholelei (13-5) then needed just eight pitches to end the game on a pair of groundouts and a fly out. She allowed just three hits and three walks, collecting the 37
th complete game of her career and the 13
th of the season.
TAMUCC (19-11, 7-5 SLC)
Thursday, March 28 – vs. Houston Christian, W (7-0)
Thursday, March 28 – vs. Houston Christian, L (3-0)
Friday, March 29 – vs. Houston Christian, W (3-2)
On Deck: The Islanders next will play Southeastern, La., in a three-game series at Chapman Field. Games 1 and 2 will be played at noon and 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, and the series finale will be played at noon on Saturday, April 6.
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