HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team secured its first victory of 2025 in walk-off fashion, topping Bryant 6-5 Friday afternoon after dropping a 7-2 decision to Tulsa earlier in the morning to split day two of the Bearkat Classic.
The Islanders (1-2) finally found an offensive tempo on the second day of the Bearkat Classic, scoring their first runs of the year against Tulsa (1-0) before really getting going against Bryant (0-1) to also garner the first win of the season.
Senior
Paolina Baez especially got into a rhythm today, recording a hit in each game both in the form of a two-RBI double. Overall, the team improved from three hits in the game against Tulsa to knocking 12 against the Bulldogs. Nine different Islanders recorded at least one hit today.
"It was a team effort all the way around," said head coach
Kathleen Rodriguez. "I believe we matured as a team today. We made important adjustments at the plate, pitch to pitch and inning by inning. I am proud of how well they shared information and lifted one another up throughout the day."
Game 1: Tulsa 7, A&M-Corpus Christi 2
The Golden Hurricane plated two in the first frame, one going unearned due to an error in the Islanders' infield. A&M-Corpus Christi tried matching Tulsa in the second and third innings, managing a pair on base both times including back-to-back singles from
Dafne Mercado and
Zoey Stewart in that earlier frame but neither squad could strike again until the fourth.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, it was Tulsa who benefited in that outing as another fielding error spiraled into three more runs for the opposing team. The Islanders were finally able to breakthrough in the next inning as
Natalie Garcia and Eryn Castillo made it to first and second off walks. Then, Baez squeaked one fair down the right field line for the two-RBI double for the team's first scoring of the year.
However, Tulsa would cover those two runs with another pair themselves in the sixth to ultimately come away with the 7-2 decision.
Game 2: A&M-Corpus Christi 6, Bryant 5
Although the Islanders saw their third straight opponent make it on the board first, they responded timelier in their second matchup of the day after matching Bryant's two runs and raising them one in the third for their first lead of the weekend.
Monee Montilla led off with a single up the middle before
Ripley Welker laid down the bunt to advance Montilla and ended up reaching base on a throwing error by the Bryant third baseman. Davila then barreled a double to right center, scoring both runners to knot things up. In scoring position, Davila then rounded home off
Karisa Lopez's base hit as the Islanders led it 3-2.
A lengthy sixth inning then ensued, as the Bulldogs managed to tack on three runs to reverse the lead before the Islanders tied things up once again in the bottom frame after Baez repeated her game-one success with another two-RBI double to score Lopez and
CJ Castilla.
Malia Williams, who entered in relief in the sixth inning to extinguish Bryant's momentum, then stranded two on base in the top of the seventh to set the Islanders' offense up for a walk-off opportunity. And that's exactly what they did as Welker got a piece of the ball to place it in center field before advancing on the sacrifice bunt from Davila.
Skylar Heger then stepped up to the plate and sent one up the middle for Welker to run home and complete the 6-5 walk-off win.
It also earned Williams' the first pitching win of the season for the Islanders, who went 5.2 innings on the day only conceding one earned run.
On Deck:
The Islanders will wrap up opening weekend tomorrow when they rematch Bryant at 1 p.m. before taking on the hosts of Sam Houston in a night cap beginning at 6 p.m.
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