KINGSVILLE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team came back in the final inning of both games at Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Saturday, but came up just short in both contests. The Lions lost an 11-9 decision in the first game, then fell 5-4 in the second game as the Javelinas took the series.
 
A&M-Commerce falls to 22-11 overall and 9-6 in the Lone Star Conference with the losses, while the Javelinas are now 16-16 overall and 8-9 in the league.
 
The Lions complete their South Texas swing at Texas A&M International, with a doubleheader slated to start at noon Sunday in Laredo.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
- Chealsea Slider and Ciera Nunez each had four hits on the day. Slider drove in three runs, while Nunez brought home three Lions to score.
- Tyler Oppenheim was 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of walks and three runs scored. She had a .857 on-base percentage for the day.
- The Lions had seven doubles on the day, but conceded three homers and a double to the Javelinas.
- A&M-Commerce stranded 21 base runners in 14 offensive innings.
- Baylea Higgs had two doubles on the day with a .714 on-base percentage
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
A&M-Commerce jumped out to an early lead, as the first five Lions of the day earned base hits. Nunez and Kinsie Hebler hit back-to-back doubles, and consecutive singles by Mariah Jameyson and Slider scored runs to make it an early 3-0 Lion lead.
 
The Javelinas cut into the lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but the Lions responded when Oppenheim scored on a Nunez single with an attached error to make it 4-1 in the middle of the second.
 
The hosts exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a three-run homer. Ten Javelinas came to the plate in the inning and the Lions trailed 6-4. Kingsville added a pair of runs in the fourth on an RBI bunt single and a sacrifice fly, making it 8-4 for the home nine.
 
A&M-Commerce struggled to push runners across in the middle innings, stranding seven runners on base. A Nunez RBI groundout in the fifth ended the drought, as the Lions cut the lead to 8-5. Unfortunately for the visiting team, their hosts pushed across three more runs in the bottom of that frame to get back out to an 11-5 lead.
 
Jameyson led off the sixth with a double and Slider brought her home with a single. Johnna Sturm brought home a run with a pinch hit double. Oppenheim walked and an error on a double steal brought home a run. Higgs' two-out RBI double plated Oppenheim and cut the lead to 11-9.
 
Lion pitcher Brittany Woolridge stemmed the tide by stranding two Javelinas on base in the sixth, giving the Lions a chance in the final frame.
 
With one out, Jameyson walked and Slider was hit by a pitch. Sturm was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases, but a strikeout left the tying runs on base as Kingsville took a game one win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
The Javelinas took an early lead in the second game of the day on a two-run homerun with two outs. A&M-Commerce threatened in the second inning, but a runner was thrown out at home plate to end the inning.
 
The Lions tied the game up in the top of the third inning after Higgs led off with a single. She stole third and came home on Nunez' infield single. Nunez would score on a Slider RBI groundout to knot the game up at 2-2.
 
The home side scored twice more in the third to retake the advantage on a pair of singles after the first two batters reached via walks. A Javelina RBI groundout in the fourth pushed the hosts' lead to 5-2.
 
After a lull in offensive performance in the middle innings, the Lions roared back in the seventh. Oppenheim reached on a one out double, and Higgs' speed forced a lapse in concentration by the TAMUK infield, as she reached on an error. Hebler brought home a run with a fielders' choice, and Jameyson's two-out RBI single brought the Lions within one run, with the tying run in scoring position. Good contact was made, but a fly ball brought an end to the game, as Texas A&M-Kingsville took both ends of the doubleheader, and the series.