COMMERCE – The No. 14 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team dropped both ends of a hotly contested softball doubleheader to No. 6 Angelo State University at John Cain Family Softball Field on Friday evening.
 
ASU took the first game by a 2-0 score, then held off the Lions by a 6-5 count in the second game.
 
A&M-Commerce falls to 35-7 overall and 20-6 in the Lone Star Conference with the loss, while Angelo State is now 40-6 overall and 22-4 in the league.
 
The two teams are scheduled to close the series at 1 p.m. Saturday, with Senior Day ceremonies scheduled for 12:40 p.m.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game One)
- Ciera Nunez was the Lions' top hitter, going 2-for-3.
- Kinsie Hebler and Kayla Kilcrease each hit doubles, while Cally Pausewang earned a pinch hit single.
- Baylea Higgs walked twice and Mariah Jameyson earned one free pass.
- Emily Otto was tagged with the loss to fall to 14-4 on the season, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
- Lacie Bullard held the Rambelles scoreless in 1.2 innings of relief, only allowing one batter to reach on a hit by pitch.
- Rambelle pitcher Brandy Marlett moved to 19-2 on the year with the shutout, allowing five hits, walking three, and striking out 11.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One)
Both teams squandered early scoring chances as the Lions left two runners in scoring position in the first inning. The Rambelles loaded the bases with none out in the second, but were unable to plate a run. A&M-Commerce also left two runners on base in the third inning.
 
Angelo State opened the scoring with a two out rally in the fifth. After two strikeouts to start the inning, Madison Greenwell singled, stole second, and scored on a Bailey Wallace single. A fly out ended the inning with the Rambelles leading 1-0 in the middle of the fifth.
 
Pausewang poked a pinch hit single to right field to start the sixth inning, but Neal was cut down on a steal attempt. Nunez' sinking liner to right-center was snagged just before it hit the ground, as the two Rambelle defensive efforts turned the Lions away.
 
Karina Rocha hit a leadoff homer in the sixth down the left field line to give Angelo State a 2-0 lead. Otto was relieved by Bullard, who retired three straight batters and limit any potential further damage.
 
Hebler led off the sixth with a double and Jameyson walked to put two runners on with none out. A hard hit drive to right by Sims was caught on the fly, and a baserunning mistake resulted in a double play. An ensuing strikeout ended the inning with the Lions still scoreless.
 
The Lions were unable to come back in the final inning, as Marlett struck out two in the final frame.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game Two)
- Baylea Higgs went 3-for-4 in the game to lead a 13-hit barrage for the Lions. Kinsie Hebler, Bri Sims, Jodie Hill, and Monica Cherry each had two hits.
- Hebler drove in two runs on a sixth inning homerun, while Mariah Jameyson drove in a run on her sixth inning dinger.
- Kayla Kilcrease collected a hit and two walks.
- Lacie Bullard allowed three runs on two hits in 2.0 innings, striking out two and walking two, while falling to 3-1.
- Katie Dean allowed three runs in 5.0 innings of relief on three hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two)
Angelo State jumped out to an early lead with a two-run single by Taegan Kirk in the top of the first, then extended the lead to 3-0 on a solo homer just over the left field fence by Brooke Mangold.
 
Sims led off the bottom of the second by lacing a double to right-center to start the Lions' first scoring inning of the day. After Kilcrease walked, Hill hammered a double down the left field line to plate a run. However, the Lions would strand two runners in scoring position, and trailed 3-1 after two innings completed.
 
ASU extended the lead in the top of the third inning with three runs on two homeruns, and the guests led 6-1 after three turns at the plate.
 
The Lions threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Cherry, Higgs, and Hebler singled to load the bases with two outs. However, a towering popup on the infield snuffed out the A&M-Commerce scoring opportunity.
 
A&M-Commerce cut back into the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Kilcrease hit an infield single with one out and moved to second on a bunt. Cherry smoked a single up the middle to plate Kilcrease and narrow the deficit to 6-2.
 
The hammer squad brought the Lions back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Higgs smoked a triple to center. Hebler followed that up with a line shot homerun to center, and her 14^th round-tripper of the season cut the lead to two. Jameyson mashed a moonshot just over the left field fence on the next pitch, cutting the lead to 6-5 and forcing a pitching change.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, the Lions rallied when Hill smashed a double down the left field line on the opening pitch of the bottom of the inning. However, Marlett sat down three consecutive batters to conclude the game.