COMMERCE – The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team closed out the Lion Invitational Saturday with a split, defeating Texas A&M International and falling to Arkansas Tech.
 
The Lions were 6-0 winners over TAMIU, then lost 4-1 to ATU.

A&M-Commerce is 3-1 overall after the opening weekend, and is scheduled to co-host the Irwin Classic with UT Tyler next weekend.
 
HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAMES
 
A&M-COMMERCE 6, A&M INTERNATIONAL 0
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits while striking out seven and walking one to move to 3-0 on the season.
- Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence), Kinsie Hebler (Cy-Fair), and Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) each collected two hits in the game.
- Hebler and Ta'Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy) each hit two-run homeruns, while Schaefer had a two-run double.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hebler got the Lion scoring started in the first inning, crushing a two-run homer to left-center. The Lion lead extended to 4-0 in the second. Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas High) led off with an infield single, followed by an Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) single to center. After a double steal, Schaefer hit a high-soaring ball to left which the Dustdevil outfielder couldn't handle, bringing two runs home with the double.
 
Moody extended the lead in the sixth inning with her first career homer, slapping a round-tripper to right field after Dutton's leadoff single.
 
TAMIU never truly challenged the Lions, as no Dustdevil reached scoring position until the seventh inning, where LeBlanc earned a three-pitch strikeout and induced a game-ending flyout for her second shutout of the year.
 
ARKANSAS TECH 4, A&M-COMMERCE 1
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Schaefer, Kuea Angilau (Salt Lake City, Utah), Slider, Modrego, Dutton, and Moody had singles in the game, as no Lion had an extra base hit.
- The Lions stranded 10 runners on base in the contest.
- Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated, 0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, striking out three but hitting three batters in 2.1 innings.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Golden Suns took the lead in the first on a Paty Loredo RBI single after a hit batter and walk earlier in the inning. The Lions had runners in scoring position in the bottom of the inning after a pair of walks and a wild pitch, but could not bring the runs home.

A&M-Commerce would not be able to put a runner in scoring position until the sixth inning, while Tech scored single runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings to go up 4-0.
 
The Lions rallied in the bottom of the seventh when Moody led off with a single, Schaefer walked, and Angilau drove home a run with a laser single off the right-center wall. Hebler drew a walk to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate with none out, but a double play and a ground out snuffed out the late rally.