KINGSVILLE – The No. 4 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team kept fans on the edge of their seats all day Sunday, splitting a pair of one-run games with No. 12 Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
 
The Lions were 1-0 victors in the opening game, then dropped the second game in heartbreaking fashion, falling 3-2 on a walkoff homerun in the 12th inning. The 12-inning nightcap was the longest game in program history.
 
The Lions are now 23-10 overall and 16-4 in the Lone Star Conference, while the Javelinas are 14-6 in the LSC and 22-9 overall.

A&M-Commerce returns home next weekend, hosting St. Edward's on Friday and St. Mary's on Sunday.
 
GAME ONE – Lions 1, Javelinas 0
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) pitched a complete game two-hitter, shutting out the Javelinas with six strikeouts, two walks, and three hit batters. She moved her record to 10-4 on the season with the Lions' 12th shutout of the season.
 
Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) hit a first inning double that plated the game's only run. Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) drew a two-out walk, and LeBlanc's hard hit ball to center made it a 1-0 game.
 
While Otto was strong in the circle throughout the game, she had to work around jams. She stranded two TAMUK runners on base in the first and left the bases full of Javelinas in the sixth.
 
Kinsie Hebler (Cy-Falls) hit a double in the seventh, but that was one of only two Lions who reached second the rest of the game.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the leadoff Javelina reached on an error, putting the tying runner on base early. The Lions escaped with the win after a foul out on a sacrifice bunt attempt, a strikeout, and a flyout.
 
GAME TWO – Javelinas 3, Lions 2 (12 innings)
The late inning emotions swung wildly for the Lions, who were one out away from taking the sweep in the longest game in program history.
 
Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence), Dugi, Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic), and Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas High) each had two hits in the game.
 
Slider's leadoff single in the third turned into the opening run after pinch runner Kimber Neal moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Schaefer's single.
 
LeBlanc was strong in the circle throughout the game, working around trouble all day. The Javelinas stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings. The hosts tied the game with their first run of the day on a two-out single in the fourth, making it 1-all.
 
As the game progressed, tension remained high, with no runners advancing to scoring position until the 11th inning. Schaefer doubled with one out in the 11th and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but advanced no further.
 
A&M-Kingsville pushed a runner to third in the bottom of the 11th with two outs, but the Lions induced a fielder's choice to force the 12th inning.
 
LeBlanc hammered a 3-1 pitch deep over the centerfield wall to lead off the 12th inning, celebrating all the way around the bases as she gave the Lions a 2-1 lead.

She was one out away from the victory, until Anastasia Leibas singled and Matisen Onofrei hit a two-run walkoff homerun to left field, ending the game with the Hogs out in front 3-2. Onofrei was 0-for-8 on the day prior to the hit and had stranded eight runners on base. The homer was the only extra base hit all day for the Javelinas.
 
LeBlanc was tagged with the loss to fall to 13-6 despite going 11 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking four with 11 hits conceded.