Commerce, Texas – Selena Rima earned the first save in A&M-Commerce softball history and worked a complete game shutout to lift the Lions to 6-0 to open the inaugural season with wins over Southern Nazarene, 6-2, and Northeastern State, 7-0, Saturday afternoon on the final day of the Lion Classic at the John Cain Family Softball Stadium.
 
Rima was tremendous for the Lions in game one. With runners on first and second and no one out, Rima recorded a strikeout and two weak fly balls to end the threat and the game and to earn the first save in Lion softball history.  Rima continued her prowess in game two, with a complete game -- her second of the season – shutout – her first of the year.  She recorded 11 strikeouts and allowed only four hits.
 
"She was lights out," A&M-Commerce head coach Richie Bruister said.  "I judge a pitcher by how many batters are swinging at missing at pitches and it was a bunch of misses.  It showed me she was on today.  We were kind of flat in the first game, and she came in and slammed the door then was lights out in the second game."
 
Trialing 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth in game one, the Lions manufactured a pair of runs sparked by a Johnna Sturm lead off single Mackenzie Payne pinch ran for Sturm and scored worked her way around the base patch on three illegal pitches to score tie the game.  Tyler Oppenheim and Monica Cherry reached on walks, and Oppenheim scored when Cherry stole second to give the Lions a 3-2 lead.
 
A&M-Commerce tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning on a Luci Ponce RBI single and Romero, who reached on a walk, worked her way around the base path and scored on an illegal pitch to give the Lions a 5-2 lead after five innings.
 
Monica Cherry notched the final run with solo blast over the left field fence to cap off the scoring and give the Lions a 6-2 win.
 
Aundria Romero picked up the win in the circle after six innings of work.  She scattered nine hits but only gave up two runs, neither of which were earned.  Selena Rima came in the seventh with no outs and two runners on base.  She worked a scoreless seventh stranding the runners to pick up the first save in A&M-Commerce history.
 
December Rivers went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Cherry had a hit in her only official plate appearance.  Cherry drove in a run and scored two runs.  Cherry reached base in every official plate appearance in the first three games of the Lion Classic.
 
In game two, Rima was by far the story line, but the Lions did their fare share of work at the dish.  A&M-Commerce pushed across a run in the second and third innings.  In the second, Tyler Oppenheim hit a groundball to the third baseman and was throw out at first, but Magen Lynch, who reached on a single, alertly took third on the play when it was left open and then scampered for home when the RiverHawk defenders turned their backs. In the third, Ponce led off with double and later scored on an error.
 
The Lions added a crooked number to the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Higgs beat and an infield RBI single to plated Lynch, and Ponce smacked a two-run single to left driving in Higgs and Hatton to make it 7-0.
 
For good measure, the Lions notched a pair of runs in the sixth on a Ponce smash down the right field line that scored Higgs.  Sturm brought Ponce home on a single up the middle to complete the scoring at 7-0 for the Lions.
 
Ponce was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored and her second double of the season.   Sturm and Lynch both finished 2-for-4 at the dish for the Lions.
 
"When you draw it up before the tournament that is the way you draw it up," Bruister said.  "The girls played well.  We had good defense that sparked our offense and we averaged 10.5 runs per game in the tournament this weekend.  We were challenged there at times too, and we got to see our team handle the adversity and show good character."
 
A&M-Commerce will stay in tournament play with a road trip to Southeastern Oklahoma with games against St. Mary's, Newman, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Washburn and host Southeastern Oklahoma State Friday, February 13, Saturday, February 14 and Sunday February 15 on the docket.
 
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.