COMMERCE – Late-game heroics lifted the No. 22 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team over No. 2 Augustana, 4-3 in 10 innings, in the first game of the season for both teams on Tuesday afternoon. The Vikings took the nightcap at the John Cain Family Field by a score of 5-0.
Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) batted 2 for 5 in the two games, scoring on the game-tying play in the seventh inning of game one. With the Lions down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh,
Kuea Angilau (Salt Lake City, Utah) drove in two on a double down the right field line. In the bottom of the 10
th inning with the bases loaded,
Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) slapped a single down the middle to give the Lions the win.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
GAME 1: A&M-Commerce 4, Augustana 3 (10 innings)
The Lions started three newcomers in the lineup. Freshman shortstop
Chloe Reneau (Garrison) batted in the leadoff spot and freshman second baseman
Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) followed her in the lineup. Williams, a transfer from Weatherford College, batted fifth and played first base in game one.
Baserunners were a rarity through the first three innings. The Lions had two runners on base, both failing to score, while the Vikings stranded their lone baserunner as well.
The Vikings scored the first run of the day in the fifth inning. Kennedy Buckman hit a one-out double and was pinch ran for by Becca Koupal, who advanced to third on a ground out. Abbie Lund drove in Koupal with a single to center field.
Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) did not take long to tie the game back. In the first at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, she drilled a long ball to left field for the Lions' first home run of the season.
AVERY BOLEY HOME RUN
The Vikings created all sorts of traffic on the base paths in the sixth inning. Delaney Young got on base with a single and she moved to second on a base hit by Torri Chute. Abby Lien followed with another one-base knock and drove in Bergen Lindner, who pinch ran for Young.
Gracey Brink continued a stretch of four straight base hits by the Vikings and loaded the bases on a bunt single. Buckman hit the Vikings' fifth consecutive base hit and plated Chute on a single through the right side. The Lions were able to get out of the inning with an out on the bases and a strikeout with a runner at second.
The Lions were down to their final out in the seventh inning with no runners on base. Modrego started the rally by reaching on a catcher's interference.
MacKenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) joined Modrego on the bases with a single to the right side. Angilau came in as a pinch hitter and drilled a double down the left field line to re-tie the game. The Lions had the winning run at second in the seventh, but the Vikings got out of the inning with a ground out.
The Vikings had runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but all of them were stranded. The Lions went down in order in the eighth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Williams led-off with a double to right center. She was chased in a rundown at third base for the first out of the inning. The Lions had runners at first and second with one out, but could not get a run across.
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) got the call to start the season opener for the Lions. She pitched all 10 innings, fanning nine, and tossing 167 pitches. She was charged with three earned runs. The Vikings' starter Ashley Mickschl also pitched a complete game, giving up two earned runs and striking out two.
Two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for Augustana with one out in the 10
th inning. After a pop out to second base, the Vikings nearly broke the tie, but Dugi dove in to rob an extra base-hit and keep the game tied.
MACKENZIE DUGI DIVING CATCH
Sabrina Anguiano (Riverside, Calif.) pinch hit for Reneau to start the 10
th inning. The Rogers State transfer drew a walk and Reneau re-entered the game as the base runner. Terry reached on a bunt single to put two on base for the Lions.
After a fielder's choice tagged out Reneau at third base.
Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) loaded the bases with a single to left field. Williams followed with a single up the middle for the game-winning knock.
AYANNA WILLIAMS WALK-OFF HIT
Otto was the winning pitcher, while Mickschl got the loss. Williams, LeBlanc, and Modrego had two hits each in game one.
The Vikings left 13 runners on base in the first game and made two fielding errors.
GAME 2: Augustana 5, A&M-Commerce 0
The second game was a pitchers' duel between LeBlanc and Amber Elliot. The two teams combined for one run through the first six innings, stranding 10 runners on the base.
Augustana took the lead in the third inning. Mickschl got on base via a single and advanced to third after a wild pitch and a ground out. She came around to score on a fielding error by the Lions.
The Lions were held hitless for the first three innings, having just one batter reach base through the first go-around of the lineup.
Augustana added four insurance runs in the seventh inning to pull away from the Lions. They had the bases loaded with no outs and Mary Pardo platted two on a base hit up the middle.
The Vikings continued to threaten by loading the bases again and two more scored on a single to right center by Young.
Destiny Vazquez (Norwalk, Calif.) made her Lion debut in the circle and got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
The Lions tried to rally once again and loaded the bases in the seventh inning. Boley singled to start the inning, Modrego drew a walk. Anguiano drew another walk to load the bases with two outs, but the Lions ended the game on a strikeout.
Elliot picked up the win, tossing a complete game shutout. She allowed three hits, while punching out eight and giving up two walks. LeBlanc went 6.1 innings and was charged with the loss. She gave up four earned runs, allowing two walks and striking out four.
Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Lone Star) had two of the three hits for the Lions and broke Elliot's no-hit bid in the fourth inning. Mickschl had two of the five hits for the Vikings.
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce flocks south to Conroe for the Arkansas Tech Winter Festival this weekend. The Lions take on the Colorado School of Mines at 11 a.m. and Harding at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
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Lion Athletics Mission: Committed to a "Best in Class" experience for all.
