CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team broke a 14-game skid and got back into the win column in walk-off fashion, taking a 4-3 decision to salvage the series against SFA Saturday at Chapman Field.
It wrapped up the home schedule for the Islanders (10-34, 4-20 SLC) who got to extend a day of celebration after a senior day presentation pregame honoring seniors
Paolina Baez,
Rhea-Ann Avalos,
Siarah Galvan,
Dafne Mercado, and
Monee Montilla.
Galvan got the start in the mound while Baez, Mercado, and Montilla all registered a hit on their senior day game.
Similar to games one and two, the Islanders scored in the first inning to get on the board with an early lead. Baez led off with the double to left before the sac bunt from
CJ Castilla got her within 60 feet of home. Montilla just needed a base hit but got extras with the double to right to score Baez before finding herself reach home plate off Mercado's single up the middle.
SFA would respond with two of their own in the next inning and the teams ran into a 2-2 tie through five innings.
The Islanders finally broke through again in the bottom of the sixth when
Ripley Welker played the bases and reached home after two steals and finally the single from
Taylor Reyes driving her in for the 3-2 edge.
The Lumberjacks again would cover the difference in the next outing and the teams found themselves heading to extra innings for the second time this series. This time, however, it would be the home team using it to their advantage.
Kendra Winfrey entered in relief and stranded two SFA runners to give the Islanders a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the eighth. And that they did, as Montilla drew the leadoff walk before
Madysen Edwards took over on the base paths and rounded the way off
Karisa Lopez's double to left center for her second walk-off hit of the year.
Winfrey got the win in the circle, her fifth of the year. Mercado ended the day with the multi-hit game in addition to an RBI while Montilla and Baez both registered a hit and a run to highlight their senior days.
On deck:
The Islanders will play a rescheduled midweek game at UTSA on Tuesday before heading out for their final conference series of the season next weekend at Northwestern State.
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