CONROE – The No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon. The Lions defeated Pitt State 4-0 early in the day before coming from behind to defeat Minnesota Duluth 2-1 later in the day.
 
The wins bring the Lions to 4-0 on the season.
 
A&M-Commerce will face No. 1 Augustana, the defending national champion, on Sunday at 10 a.m. to close their first week of play. The game will be played at the Scrap Yard Sports Complex in Conroe.
 
HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAMES
First game: "It was another character day for our team, with two close ball games. We jumped out on Pitt State early and got the lead. Otto really pitched well with good defense behind her. And Schaefer had that big home run that gave us some insurance there."
Second game: "In the second game, it was a pitcher's duel. LeBlanc threw the ball really well. And we brought Otto in in the sixth with the opportunity to have a lefty-on-lefty matchup with their best hitter against our best pitcher. And Otto struck her out and picked up a huge save for us. The pitching staff is doing an awesome job."
Getting timely hits in the fifth inning of game two: "It started with Slider getting that double, which was huge. And then Cally did her job and put the ball in play to advance the runner. Then Schaefer slowed the game down and was ready for the moment. She came up big time."
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 1)
- Madison Schaefer (Frisco - Independence) had a pair of hits, including a home run, with two runs scored and an RBI. She scored the go ahead run in the first inning.
- Valori Voorheese (Sulphur Springs - Homeschool) and Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) also each had a pair of hits.
- Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) had the game-winning RBI on a single in the first inning.
- Jodie Hill (Heavener, Okla.) also had a hit and an RBI, and scored a run.
- Emily Otto (Richmond – Lamar) pitched a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts and only three hits surrendered.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)
The Lions pulled ahead right from the get-go, as Schaefer singled and was brought in to score on a single from Boley. Otto had a strikeout in the bottom half. The Lions had three singles in the second inning but could not bring in a runner, as Otto struck out another in the bottom half. The Lions led 1-0 after two complete innings.
 
The Lions brought in another run in the fourth, as Vanessa Avina (Haltom City) scored on a sacrifice fly from Hill. Otto struck out two more in the fifth inning.
 
Schaefer hit a home run to left field in the sixth inning to add to the Lion lead. Hill also singled and scored on an error to give the Lions a 4-0 lead. Otto struck out two in the sixth and two more in the seventh as the Lions closed out the game.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 2)
- Alyssa LeBlanc earned her second win of the season, pitching 5.2 innings without an earned run. She had nine strikeouts. Emily Otto pitched the final 1.1 innings, earning the save with a pair of strikeouts.
- Madison Schaefer hit a two-RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Lions the lead for good.
- Chealsea Slider (Texarkana, Ark.), Jodie Hill and Avery Boley also had hits.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)
LeBlanc had two early strikeouts in the first inning, and again in the second inning as she fooled several Bulldog batters throughout the contest. The Lions also struggled with the bats early, recording just one hit in the first four innings. LeBlanc had two more strikeouts in the third inning.
 
UMD brought its run across in the third inning, as a throwing error allowed a runner on, and a single brought the runner home. The Lions trailed 1-0 after four complete innings.
 
The Lion offense found its stuff in the fifth inning, and was aided by a pair of Bulldog miscues. Slider had a double and Cally Pausewang (Bastrop – Cedar Creek) reached on a fielder's choice error, putting two runners in scoring position. Schaefer smacked a pitch down the right field line, scoring both runners and putting the Lions into the lead.
 
After UMD had two hits in the sixth inning, Otto was brought in and struck out the only batter she faced in the sixth inning to preserve the Lion lead. The Lions threatened in the bottom of the sixth but could not add to their lead. However, Otto and the defense closed out the seventh inning to pick up the win.