CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – For the third consecutive game, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team hung tough with the best the Southland Conference has to offer, but for the second time in the three games, defending champion McNeese made just one extra play.
The Cowgirls got two unearned runs on one play with two outs in the sixth inning Saturday at Chapman Field, leading to a 3-1 victory in the rubber match of their three-game series. McNeese took the first game 1-0 in eight innings on Friday, then the Islanders snapped a 33-game losing streak to McNeese with a 2-1 win in Game 2.
On Senior Day at Chapman Field, ace
Primrose Aholelei did her part in her last home conference start, pitching six innings and allowing three runs (just one earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts.
McNeese (35-17 overall, 19-2 SLC) jumped out early with a run in the second on three hits. But the Islanders (21-18, 9-12) answered back in the third, as
Sidney Campion reached on an error to lead off, then came around to score on a double to left-center by senior
Alina Jasso.
From there, it was a pitchers duel between Aholelei and McNeese's Shaelyn Sanders. It was the second time the two aces hooked up in the series, with Aholelei getting the win in Game 2 after Sanders entered the game with two outs in the first inning. The two had strikingly similar totals throughout the weekend.
Aholelei (15-9) pitched in the final two games, taking the win in Game 2 and the loss in Game 3. She pitched 13 total innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on 13 hits, three walks with 12 strikeouts. Sanders figured in all three decisions, getting the win in relief in Game 1, taking the loss in Game 2 in relief, and getting the complete-game win in Game 3. Overall, she pitched 14.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run on eight hits, four walks with 11 strikeouts.
TAMU-CC pitcher Aholelei and
Ariella Saenz held the Cowgirls to just five runs in the three games, which were the fewest number of runs the Cowgirls have scored in a three-game series this season. The previous low was six runs against Nicholls on March 15-16, when the Cowgirls lost their only other conference game of the year.
Saturday's game was still in doubt as it appeared a second extra-inning game in the series could be upcoming. But in the sixth inning, McNeese got a pair of one-out singles and moved the runners to second and third with two outs. Then, a mishandled ground ball let both runners come around to score, giving the Cowgirls a 3-1 lead.
Sanders then retired the final six batters order, giving McNeese a 2-1 series win.
TAMU-CC had three hits in the game, with
Monee Montilla and Jasso each ripping a double, and senior Syndey Hoyt singling ahead of Jasso's run-scoring double in the third.
The Islanders will take on Prairie View A&M in a nonconference midweek doubleheader at 1 p.m. Tuesday before traveling to Thibodaux, La., to face Nicholls on May 3-4 in their final SLC series before the Southland Conference Tournament on May 7-10 in Lake Charles, La.
TAMUCC (21-18, 9-12 SLC)
Friday, April 26 – vs. McNeese, L (1-0, 8 inn.)
Friday, April 26 – vs. McNeese, W (2-1)
Saturday, April 27 – vs. McNeese, L (3-1)
On Deck: The Islanders will play their final two home games of the season against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday, April 30. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
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Islanders Softball) and follow the program on Twitter (
@IslandersSball) and Instagram (
islanderssball).
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