Commerce, Texas – Monica Cherry drove in a pair of game-winning hits including a solo home run to clinch game two and to propel A&M-Commerce to a Saturday sweep, 4-3 and 4-2, of Midwestern State giving the Lions the Lone Star Conference series win.
 
A&M-Commerce took three of four games from an LSC opponent after winning the series against Eastern New Mexico back on March 14 and March 15.  The four-game seta against the Mustangs was decided by a total of five runs with the largest margin of victory – two runs -- coming in game two of Saturday's twinbill. Friday's games were decided by one run with MSU taking winning the series opener, 5-4, and the Lions taking the 10-inning extravaganza, 7-6, in the nightcap.
 
In game one, The Lions scored first for the 19th time during the season pushing across two runs on two solo homers by Aundria Zunigia-Romero and Johnna Sturm.  Sturm's blast was her second solo shot in during the series.
 
MSU knotted the game at two with one run in the third inning and one run in the fourth inning.  In the third, Katelyn Vinson drove home Erin Knox, who reached on a leadoff triple, with a sacrifice fly to left, and in the fourth it was Knox who drove home a run with a double to center. 
 
A&M-commerce answered with a run in the fourth inning to regain a one-run advantage, 3-2, after a bases loaded walk, but MSU responded two innings later on a leadoff home run from Katy Vandewater.
 
Luci Ponce started the bottom half of the sixth for the Lions with a single through the right side.  Ponce was forced out at second for the second out of the inning on a ground ball hit by Kylene Hatton.  After Johnna Sturm earned a walk, Cherry stepped the dish and drove a 2-2 pitch back up the middle plating the game-winning run.
 
Courtney Moore, who earned the win after tossing all 10 innings in the extra long affair Friday night, came on in the top of the seventh with one out and a runner and first and shut the door on the Mustangs to earn her second save of the season.  Cyanne Fernandez got the win after working six and a third innings and scattering seven hits.  She also struck out five batters.  Fernandez has now turned in two quality starts back-to-back starts after tossing a complete game in a win over Tarleton State a week prior.
 
Six different Lions had a hit in the game with the only Lion extra base hits coming on Zunigia-Romero's and Sturm's solo homers.
 
Game two followed a similar pattern with A&M-Commerce jumping out to an early two-run lead after a two-run double to left center off of Hatton's bat.  Lynch, who started the top of the first inning with single, and Oppenheim, who reached on a walk, scampered around the base path to score on the ball in the gap.
 
MSU pushed a run across in the second inning when Knox – with runners on second and third -- hit a ball deep into the hole at short.  Cherry tracked the ball down but her only play was attempting the throw the runner out at the plate. Taylor Bermudes beat the throw to the plate scoring the first run.  The Mustangs continued to apply pressure and pulled even in the third inning after Vinson led off the frame with solo home run into left.
 
The Lions went scoreless in the bottom of the third and neither team scored in the fifth, but A&M-Commerce opened the game in the fifth inning with a pair of runs.  Cherry led off the stanza with a solo homer to left for what held up to be the game-winner. Cherry's blast was her fifth of the season.  The Lions kept the inning going and added an insurance run when Ponce doubled in Oppenheim, who reached on a single, giving the Lions a 4-2 lead.
 
Moore again made an appearance in relief, this time coming in the sixth inning and working one and two thirds of an inning of hitless softball to pick up her second save of the day.  Selena Rima picked up her sixth win of the season after five and a third innings.  She scattered 10 hits and struck out two Mustangs.
 
Lynch and Cherry both knocked two hits in three trips to the plate, while Hatton's two RBI led the Lions.
 
A&M-Commerce will play its final LSC series of the season at Angelo State Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.  Friday's doubleheader starts at 5 p.m. with the series concluding at 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Lions will return to the John Cain Family Softball Field one more time before closing out the inaugural 2015 regular season. The Lions will cap of the scheduled play with a doubleheader against Southern Arkansas on Tuesday, April 21 at 4 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.