COMMERCE – The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team opened Lone Star Conference play with a 4-0 shutout of MSU Texas at the John Cain Family Field on Friday night. The Lions scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning and rode their pitching to a shutout victory.
 
The Lions move to 10-1 overall and 1-0 in LSC action with the win, while the Mustangs fall to 7-3 overall and 0-1 in the league.
 
The two teams will meet again on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Tickets to the double header are available by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, or by purchase at the gate of the John Cain Family Softball Field.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Emily Otto (Richmond – Lamar Consolidated) moved her record to 6-0 with a three-hit complete game shutout. She struck out five and walked one. It is Otto's fifth shutout of the season and the 18th of her career. She is now the program's all-time leader in complete games.
- Vanessa Muro (Oak Hills, Calif.) broke the game open in the fifth with a three-run double to right-center.
- Bri Sims (Rowlett) drew three walks. Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas High), Ta'Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy), and Ciera Nunez (Amarillo – Randall) each had singles in the contest.
 
HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAME
- On the timely hitting in the fifth inning: "Our bottom of the lineup came through there. Slider came out and singled up the middle. Then Moody had the bunt single and Nunez followed that up with a bunt hit as well. We loaded the bases. Then Kilcrease got hit by the pitch and brought one in. Then Muro had the big two-out hit with the bases loaded into the gap. It was big time for her to step up in that situation."
- On the pitching performance of Emily Otto: "I was proud of her maturity. The defense didn't play how we wanted. She is used to really good defense. But she kept her composure and our defense kept its composure and we got out of some crucial innings. They had bases loaded with nobody out and she stepped up and did her job. I was really proud of her maturity and how she handled those situations."
- On preparing for two more against MSU on Saturday: "The Lone Star Conference is tough. They are going to come in tomorrow and do everything they can to beat us. We are going to have to play better than we did today. I'm proud of how our girls battled today but we will have to make some adjustments and go out and do our thing tomorrow."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Otto kept the Mustangs off the board despite multiple jams. MSU had the bases loaded with none out in the second before three straight outs. A runner in scoring position was also stranded at third in the fourth inning.
 
The Lions were held hitless until the fifth inning, before Slider started the rally with a leadoff single to center. Moody continued the run with a pinch hit infield single and Nunez legged out an infield single to load the bases. Kayla Kilcrease (Kerens) was hit by a pitch on the first pitch of her plate appearance to put the Lions up 1-0.
 
After a strikeout and an infield fly, Muro broke the game open with a bases-clearing double to right-center, putting the Lions ahead 4-0.
 
Given the cushion, Otto cruised, retiring every batter in the sixth, then inducing a double play in the seventh to end the game.