San Antonio, Texas – After dropping the first game on day two of the Rattler Invitational 8-3 to No. 13 Oklahoma Central, the Lions responded with their second defeat of a top 25 opponent downing tournament host St. Mary's 1-0 behind
Aundria Romero, who tossed a complete game shutout and drove in the games only run.
Romero was dominant in the circle for the Lions limiting the Rattlers to only four hits. It was only St. Mary's second loss of the year and the first time the Rattlers had been shutout in 2015.
Luci Ponce got the offense started with a one-out single in the top of the sixth. Ponce was forced out when
December Rivers reached on a fielder's choice. After
Danielle Guerra pinch ran for Rivers,
Johnna Sturm reached on a Rattler error to keep the inning alive for the Lions. Romero stepped to the plate and laced a single up the middle to score Guerra. The inning ended with a fly ball to center to end the inning, but the damage was already done.
Romero allowed a base hit in the sixth inning with two outs, but she pitched out of it getting a line out to
Monica Cherry at short. In the seventh inning, Romero retired the side in order including her second strikeout of the game for the final out to seal 1-0 win for the Lions.
Offensively,
Kylene Hatton was 2-for-3 with a stolen base for the Lions.
The win improved the Lions to 11-6 and snapped a three-game slide including the 8-3 loss to No. 13 Central Oklahoma in game one Saturday. It also avenged an earlier loss, 13-3, to then ranked No. 16 St. Mary's on Friday, February 13.
The Bronchos struck first in the top of the second inning with a run, but the Lions responded with the next three runs. A&M-Commerce plated its first run in the bottom of the second inning when
Cherie Jackson doubled home Sturm who reached on a single. In the third inning, Ponce's double brought home Cherry to give the Lions a 2-1 lead. The Loins extended the margin to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ponce against drove home Cherry this time with a single to center.
The two-run Lion lead was short live, after the Bronchos scored five runs on four hits and took advantage of a pair of Lion errors to take a 6-3 lead. Ashleigh Tramel's grand slam was the highlight of the inning for Central Oklahoma.
The Bronchos added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the 8-3 win.
Selena Rima took the loss in the circle for the Lions falling to 3-2 on the season. She allowed three hits and five runs in five and a third innings of work.
Ponce paced the Lions at the dish with two hits in four at bats and two RBI. She was the only Lion with multiple hits in the game. Ponce has recorded a hit in the Lions last three games, including the St. Mary's game later in the day, and in 13 of the first 17 games of the season for the Lions. Her three-game streak is the longest active streak for the Lions at the dish.
A&M-Commerce wraps up the three-day Rattler Invitational with Texas A&M International Sunday morning at 10 a.m. The Lions will faceoff against the Dustdevils for the fourth time this season. A&M-Commerce took the first two meetings, 9-4 and 5-4, in doubleheader in Commerce on February 17, but Texas A&M International picked up a 4-1 win in game two of the Rattler Invitational on Friday.
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