HAMMOND, La. – The Houston Christian University softball team scored seven runs in final two innings Tuesday, erasing a two-run deficit and ending Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's season with a 7-2 win in the first game of the Southland Conference Tournament at North Oaks Park on the campus of Southeastern, La.
TAMU-CC finished its season with a 21-22 record. HCU (23-25) advanced to the double-elimination portion of the tournament and played No. 3 seed Nicholls later in the day.
For a team that's been struggling offensively for the better part of a month, the Islanders used two balls that didn't make it past the pitcher's circle to score two runs in the fourth inning and take an early lead.
Sydney Hoyt led off with a walk, then pinch runner
Erin Villela moved to third on a single by
Monee Montilla and an error. Then, with runners at second and third,
Paolina Baez laid down a bunt on a pitch up by her eyes, driving in Villela with the sacrifice.
After a strikeout for out No. 2,
Sidney Campion walked and stole second, again putting runners at second and third. Then, on a 2-2 pitch, pinch hitter
Rhea-Ann Avalos tried to check her swing but connected anyway, sending the ball slowly down the first-base line. HCU pitcher Ronni Grofman fielded the ball, but no one covered first, allowing Avalos to reach base and Montilla to score the second run of the game.
With a 2-0 lead, it seemed more than enough as
Primrose Aholelei was cruising. In her final game for the Islanders, Aholelei had a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts through five innings. She had allowed only four baserunners, and one of those was caught stealing by
Precious Aholelei in the third.
But then came the sixth inning.
The Huskies put the first two batters on with a single and double, then a sacrifice fly got HCU its first run of the game. After a walk, another single drove in the tying run, then yet another single loaded the bases. But Aholelei fought back, getting her ninth and final strikeout of the game and a lineout to Baez at second base to end the threat.
The Huskies put the game away in the top of the seventh, scoring five times against three different pitchers on three hits, four walks and an error.
TAMU-CC finished with five hits, with
Kimane Rogron going 2-for-3 with a double in her final game, and Hoyt going 1-for-2 with a walk in her final game. Montilla went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt, giving her an on-base percentage of .443, which is the fourth-best single-season mark in school history.
HCU finished with 10 hits, with seven of the hits and all seven runs coming in the final two innings.
Aholelei (15-11) went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. She finishes her two-year career on the Island third in school history in wins with 34, third in complete games with 55, third in career ERA (1.98), third in strikeouts with 377, sixth in innings pitched (370.2), eighth in games started with 55 and 10th in saves (1).
