Commerce, Texas – A&M-Commerce shortstop Monica Cherry went a perfect 3-for-3 with five runs scored and five RBI in a pair of Lion wins over Southern Nazarene, 18-0, and Northeastern State, 11-9, on Friday, day one of the inaugural Lion Classic at the John Cain Family Softball Field.
 
Cherry when 1-for-1 with double, three runs scored, a three RBI and two stolen bases in the game one against the Crimson Storm.  She followed that performance up with a 2-for-2 outing with two runs scored and two RBI and a stolen base in game two against the RiverHawks.
 
The Lions scored early in often in game one with back-to-back home runs from Luci Ponce and Aundria Romero.  Ponce's blast was a two-run shot to left center, and Romero's was a rocket to right center. 
 
The Lions added one more run in the bottom of the second when Kylene Hatton doubled down the right field line to score Cherry, who reached on a single and stole second to put herself in scoring position.
 
Johnna Strum set the tone in the third inning with a double to left center.  Magen Lynch followed with the Lions third home run in game after sprinting around the bases after a ball hit to left center field.  The Lions added one more run when Ponce reached on a bases loaded walk that scored Tyler Oppenheim to take a 7-0 lead after three innings.
 
The dagger came in the fourth inning when the Lions pushed across 11 runs after sending 17 batters to the dish.  Strum started the inning with a solo homer to left and Cherie Jackson highlighted the inning with three-run double down the right field line to give A&M-Commerce the 18-0 win.
 
Selena Rima picked up the win in four innings of work.  She recorded four strikeouts and allowed three hits and only one walk. Rima improved to 2-0 on the season after picking up a win the Lions season opening double-header last weekend. Cyanna Fernandez worked a scoreless fifth allowed one hit and a walk.
 
Romero and Strum paced the Lions at the plate with two hits and three RBI each.  Ponce added three RBI and two runs scored, and Jackson also drove in three runs.  Lynch had the best game for the Lions going 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.
 
In game two, the Lions again jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the second inning thanks to two RiverHawk errors that led to three unearned Lion runs.  Northeastern State got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when Ryan Martin reached on an infield single and was moved to third on a double by Jessica Boone.  Martin scored on a ground out to the short stop to give the game the score of 4-1 after three innings of play. 
 
The RiverHawks pulled within a run, 4-3, in top of the fourth with a pair of runs after a single to start the inning and a walk.  Alli Eales drove in the first run with a RBI single to left and the second reached when Eales was thrown out tying to second.
 
However, A&M-Commerce answered with a monster inning with six runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth.  December Rivers had clutch one-out double to left center that plated a pair of Lion base runners and Strum followed suited with a one-out brought home a base runner.  Lynch continued the RBI parade with a sacrifice fly that brought home the final run of the inning.  When the dust settle the Lions had amassed a 10-3 after four innings.
 
A Paige Gann two-run homer put two more on the board for the RiverHawks in the top of the fifth and Cherry scratched across a run for the Lions in the bottom of the six on a RBI infield single to end the sixth inning with the Lions seemly comfortably ahead 11-5 needing only three more outs for the win.
 
Northeastern State had other ideas when Gann led off the top of the seventh with a single and scored on a two-run home run off the bat of Kaleigh Hinkle.  After a walk to Madison Boyd and a strikeout Eales launched the Riverhawks third homer of the game cutting the lead down to two runs, 11-9, with only one out.  But the Lions sealed win with a pair of fly outs to end game.
 
Romero earned the win in the circle for A&M-Commerce after going six innings.  She recorded five hits, scattered nine RiverHawk hits and gave up six runs, all earned, to earn the decision.  Alex Files started and was saddle with the loss for Northeastern State after working three and a third innings.  She gave up four hits and allowed ten runs, only five earned.
 
Cherry and Oppenheim perfect in their two plate appearances.  Oppenheim scored three runs and swiped three bases, while Cherry scored two runs and drove in a pair of runs.
 
A&M-Commerce was outhit in the game 11-7, but only struck out twice compared to six team strikeouts for Northeastern State.
 
The Lions, 4-0 to open their inaugural season, will wrap up the Lion Classic with Southern Nazarene at noon and Northeastern State again 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.