COMMERCE – The No. 5 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team was dominant to open the 2021 Lone Star Conference season, cruising to 12-0 and 13-0 wins over Eastern New Mexico on Friday evening.
 
The Lions move to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in the LSC, while the Greyhounds fall to 0-2 overall and in the LSC after their first action of the season.

A&M-Commerce will host No. 17 West Texas A&M at 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAMES
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 1)
- Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) and Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) also had a pair of hits.
- Schaefer, Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic), and Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas) each drove in two runs.
- Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) allowed only one hit, struck out nine, and walked none to move to 1-2 on the year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)
The Lion offense rolled on a rusty Greyhound defense early, scoring eight runs in the first inning, scoring all with two outs. LeBlanc's two-run single and Slider's two-run double to center set up the surge. The Lions' final four runs scored without the ball leaving the infield.
 
The two-out scoring continued in the third, when Boley doubled to right and LeBlanc singled to the right-center gap, pushing the lead to 10-0.
 
With the game in hand, Otto cruised in the circle, only allowing a leadoff infield single in the top of the second. No Greyhounds advanced past first base at any point in the contest.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game 2)
- The Lions only needed to collect eight hits to earn the win in the nightcap, with Schaefer and Modrego each had two hits. Schaefer smoked her fourth homer of the season.
- Schaefer, Modrego, and Boley each drove in two runs.
- LeBlanc earned the win with four shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out eight. Saylor Williams (Jacksonville) closed out the game with a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)
This game's offensive barrage started in the second inning, after Slider hit an RBI single and the Lions earned another two-out rally. Ta'Lyn Moody reached on an error to plate two, followed by Schaefer's two-run bomb to make it a 5-0 lead.
 
The Lions clinched the early win in the third, scoring eight runs, including back-to-back two-run hits from Modrego and Boley, as well as the fourth career triple from Kinsie Hebler (Cy Falls).
 
LeBlanc was dominant again, as only one runner reached scoring position all night for ENMU.