Commerce, Texas – Aundria Romero turned in a complete game shutout in the first game and December Rivers went 3-for-6 on the day including the game-winning home run in game one as A&M-Commerce opened its 2015 inaugural softball season with a doubleheader sweep, 3-0 and 9-4, over St. Edward's at the newly minted John Cain Family Softball Field.
 
SEU threatened to spoil the opener in the sixth inning with back-to-back singles to start the inning.  After a double steal put runners on second and third with no outs, Romero buckled down and recorded the first out of the inning with a strikeout.  After and intentional walk loaded the bases, the Hilltoppers tried to the push the first run across on a bunt, but A&M-Commerce third baseman Danielle Guerra flipped the bunt to catcher Rivers for the force out at the plate.  With two outs and the bases still loaded, the SEU batter hit a foul ball that was going to land in the visiting dugout down the first base line, but Lion first baseman Luci Ponce reached through the opening in the netting and fell into the dugout to make the play for the third out.
 
In typical fashion, the player that makes the stellar player leads off the inning and Ponce did not disappoint with a double to center.  Romero followed with a walk and lifted for pinch runner Magen Lynch.  Rivers, who was one of the first four Lions to sign with the program, came to the plate with the raucous A&M-Commerce crowd sensing the urgency of the situation late in the game.  Rivers answered the bell blasting a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence for the first RBI and first home run in Lion softball history.  Ponce crossed home plate for the first run in A&M-Commerce history.  The Hilltoppers escaped the rest of the inning without trouble, but the damage was already done. 
 
"It's exciting, I don't really know how to explain the feeling," Rivers said. "The moment I hit it, it felt good, but I didn't know it went over until I almost passed first base. It's awesome to have all of the support we have behind us, all of the faculty and staff at the school, and all of our fans."
 
In the top of the seven, Romero got the first out with a strikeout, but ran into trouble after a walk and fly ball to center for the second half.  A SEU single brought the game-tying run to the plate with two outs, but Romero and the Lions earned the historical win on a comebacker.
 
Rivers was 1-for-2 with those game-winning three RBI and run scored.
 
Romero went all seven innings in game one allowing only four Hilltoppers hits and striking out three including the first strikeout recorded in A&M-Commerce softball history and stadium history with a K in the top of the fifth.
 
"I felt like it was either going to be real good or real bad with it being the first game and with all of the hype around the game," A&M-Commerce head coach Richie Bruister said. "It ended up being a great game. Outstanding defense on both sides of it, and a late three-run homer to go up."
"If you're going to compete at the high level we want to you have to play great defense," Bruister said. "The defense sparked the offense today."
 
SEU's Sarah Debrow was saddled with the loss for the Hilltoppers after yielding five hits and two walks in six innings of work.  She also recorded four strikeouts.
 
In game two, the Hilltoppers took advantage of an A&M-Commerce to push a run across on sacrifice fly to center in the first inning.  The Lions answered in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs thanks to three-base error on fly ball to left off the bat of Kylene Hatton.
 
The Lions pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third only to see the Hilltoppers cut the margin down one run, 4-3, with an RBI single to center. 
 
The Lions took control of the game with a three spot thanks to a RBI double by Romero and an RBI single up the middle off the bat of pinch hitter Johnna Sturm.  Guerra capped the scoring off with a sac fly that scored Rivers giving the Lions a comfortable 7-3 lead.
 
A&M-Commerce added a pair of insurance runs in the 6th inning when Lynch knocked an RBI triple and scored on Guerra's second RBI of the game to give the Lions a 9-3 lead.
 
SEU pushed the final run across in the top of the seventh, but Selena Rima escaped further trouble to pick up the win.  Rima turned in the second complete game for the Lions on day allowing seven hits and four runs, only two earned, with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Rivers continued to swing a hot stick with pair of hits including a double.  She also scored three runs.
 
"We push these girls every day in practice," Bruister said. "St. Edwards is a great team, they've been in the regionals the past three years. We faced the Heartland Conference's pitcher of the year right out of the gate and our girls handled it well."
 
A&M-Commerce will host the first edition of the TAMUC Lion Classic, a four-team tournament, set for play Friday and Saturday.  The Lions will play their first game of the tournament Friday at 12:15 against Southern Nazarene followed by a game against Northeastern State at 4:45 p.m.
 
Fans can follow all the action from the 2014-15 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.
 
St. Edwards Game Notes
- First pitch 12:02 p.m.
 
- First pitch was a called strike from Aundria Romero was a called strike.
 
- The first out recorded was a ground ball to third baseman Danielle Guerra thrown over to first baseman Luci Ponce.
 
- The Lions retired the Hilltoppers in order in the top of the first inning -- groundball to third, fly out to third and a fly out to left field.
 
- The first pitch a Lion batter, Baylea Higgs, was a ball.
 
- The first out for the Lions was recorded when the umpire ruled Higgs left early from first attempting to steal.
 
- Lions had two batters reach on errors, but strand on runner on first to end the first official home inning.
 
- Danielle Guerra recorded the first hit for the Lions with two outs in the bottom of the second with an infield single to second.
 
- The first hit against the Lions and first extra base hit in the stadium, a double, came off the bat of Caitie Carney with no outs in the top of the third inning.
 
- Higgs recorded the first walk in the stadium and for the Lions after taking a 3-1 pitch inside with one out in the bottom of the third inning.
 
- Higgs stole the first base of the season and in the stadium with one out in the bottom of the third inning on a 0-0 pitch.
 
- Romero recorded the first strikeout of the stadium and for the Lions when Carney struck out swinging for the first out in the top of the fifth inning.
 
- December Rivers hit the first home run in the stadium and on the season, a three-run blast to right center, on a 3-2 pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning ... Rivers also had the first RBI ... Ponce scored the first run crossing home plate on the Rivers homer.
 
- Romero picked up the first complete game in stadium history and school history in the win.