STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team opened a five-game stay at the Texan Classic on Friday with a late doubleheader, dropping contests to Tulsa and host Tarleton State at the TSU Softball Complex.
Across the first two games of the tournament, the Islanders (3-9) showed flashes offensively, piling up 14 hits and scoring 11 runs.
Zoey Stewart led the way with a combined 3-for-8 performance at the plate with an RBI and a stolen base.
Mimi Thornton drove in two runs in the opener, while
Erynne Castillo totaled two RBIs on the day.
Skylar Heger added three hits across both games, including a double, and
Brooke Jones reached base four times and knocked in two runs as the Islanders consistently pressured opposing pitching.
Game 1 – Tulsa 10, A&M-Corpus Christi 5
The Islanders wasted no time seizing momentum in the tournament opener. After a scoreless first, A&M-Corpus Christi broke through in the second as Thornton worked a leadoff walk and Heger followed with a single to put two on.
Karisa Lopez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, and a wild pitch allowed the first run to score. Santiago then laced a double down the left field line to plate another, and Elizalde grounded out to bring home a third run for a 3-0 advantage.
The Islanders struck again in the third. Zepeda singled and swiped second before Castillo reached to set the table. Thornton delivered the big swing of the inning, driving a two-run double to right center to stretch the lead to 5-0.
Tulsa responded in the bottom half of the third and used a big fourth inning to flip the score. A&M-Corpus Christi continued to battle, but the early five-run cushion evaporated as Tulsa capitalized on a defensive miscue and timely hits to surge in front. The Islanders were held scoreless over the final four frames.
Thornton finished with a double and two RBIs, while Santiago added a double, an RBI and a stolen base. Zepeda chipped in a hit and a steal as the Islanders applied early pressure.
Game 2 – Tarleton State 9, A&M-Corpus Christi 6
In the nightcap, the Islanders found themselves playing from behind before delivering their biggest inning of the day. Trailing 3-0 entering the third, Stewart sparked the rally with a single and stole second. Zepeda followed with a base hit, and Castillo roped a two-run single to center to cut the deficit to one. Castillo later came around to score when Thornton reached on a throwing error, tying the game.
With two outs, Jones lined an RBI single to give the Islanders a 4-3 edge, and Garcia reached on a fielder's choice that allowed another run to cross as A&M-Corpus Christi capped a five-run inning to take a 5-3 lead.
Tarleton State answered in the fourth to even the score and used a four-run fifth to regain control. The Islanders refused to go quietly. In the sixth, Jones drew a walk and Garcia was hit by a pitch before Stewart delivered an RBI single to right center to trim the margin to 9-6.
A&M-Corpus Christi brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh after a Santiago single, but the comeback bid fell short.
Stewart paced the Islanders in the finale with three hits, while Castillo drove in two and Jones reached base three times. Heger added a double as part of a two-hit effort.
On Deck:
Saturday, Feb. 21
12:30 p.m. – Army vs. A&M-Corpus Christi
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3 p.m. – Pitt vs. A&M-Corpus Christi
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Sunday, Feb. 22
12 p.m. – A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Tarleton State
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