DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The No. 22 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team suffered setbacks on Saturday against No. 5 North Georgia and Florida Southern, by scores of 12-1 and 8-2, respectively at the Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium. The Lions drop to 6-4 on the season.
 
"We made a lot of mistakes today, both defensively as well as offensively," said interim head coach Gay McNutt. "This is a very good team that just did not show up to play today. We have a chance to put things back on track tomorrow, and I fully expect us to."
 
GAME 1: No. 5 North Georgia 12, No. 22 A&M-Commerce 1 (5 innings)
After a scoreless first inning, the Nighthawks broke the dreadlock in the second with two runs. Mallary Parker got on base with a walk and scored on a single by Georgia Blair, who scored on an RBI base hit by Hannah Forehand.
 
The Nighthawks scored 10 runs on eight hits and two errors in the fourth inning. Forehand started the scoring with a home run to left center. Madi Perry scored on an RBI single by Jolie Lester. She scored on a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Sinquefie, aided by a fielding error by the Lions. Sinquefie stole home for the Nighthawks' sixth run.
 
Gracie Mixson also stole home, while Parker drove in Mariah Wicker with a triple to left center. Parker scored on a three-run home run by Forehand, Blair also scored on the play. Forehand had five RBIs in the game. Perry scored the final run of the inning on a double by Lester.
 
In total, 15 batters batted in the top of the fourth and the Lions had a pitching change in the inning as well. Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) got the loss and was charged with four earned runs. She gave up six hits, three walks, and had one strike out. She is 0-2 on the season.
 
The Lions' lone run in the game came in the bottom of the fourth. Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) doubled down the left field line, Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) moved her to third on a base hit. Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) drove in Terry on a sacrifice fly to left. Two runners got on base in the fifth as the Lions looked to avoid the run-rule, but the Nighthawks retired the last two batters to end the game.
 
Delaney Heaberlin improved to 2-1 on the season, tossing four innings and collecting one strike out. She allowed two hits and a walk. Jordan Warzynski pitched the fifth, allowing two hits for Night Georgia.
 
Allison Gonzalez (South Padre Island – Port Isabel) gave up two earned runs on five hits in 0.2 innings. Julia Sanchez (Houston – Kinkaid School) made her collegiate debut and pitched a shutout fourth inning, having two strike outs.
 
GAME 2: Florida Southern 8, No. 22 A&M-Commerce 2
Destiny Whitburn (Dodd City – Ector) and Elizabeth Guerrero (International School of the Americas) made their first Lion starts in the game against the Moccasins. The Lions had two base runners in the top of the first but could not get a run across.
 
Kelsey Peck started the bottom half of the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single up the middle by Destiny Colgate. Both Peck and Colgate scored on a two-run base hit by Myah Moy. The Mocs had two more runners on base, but the Lions limited the damage with a ground out.
 
Avery Ziegler (Southlake Carroll) got hit by a pitch and scored the first run of the game for the Lions. She scored on a single by Terry. The Lions' third out of the inning came at third base with two runners on base.
 
Moy collected two more RBIs in the second. She singled to right field and drove in Peck and Jessica Bryson. She went 3 for 4 in the game. The Mocs' fifth run came in the fourth on a throwing error by the Lions. Bryson scored the run.
 
Williams made it 5-2 in the top of the fifth. She reached base with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch. The Lions had the bases loaded in the fifth, being down three, but the Mocs stuck out Terry to end the inning.
 
Colgate added three more runs for Florida Southern in the fifth with a bases-clearing three run double to left. Bryson, Jadyn Bushnell, and Jadin Dewith scored on the play. The Lions did not have a hit for the rest of the game.
 
Making her second start of the year, Chanlee Oakes (Emory – Rains) got the loss and is 1-1 on the season. She tossed a complete game, giving up 10 hits, seven earned runs, four walks, and fanned four.
 
Tiana Hernandez got the win for the Mocs, she went four innings and allowed two runs on six hits, three walks, and three strike outs. Mel Rogers picked up a save, throwing three innings of one-hit ball. She struck out eight of the 10 batters she faced.
 
Williams had two hits in the game, while Terry and Alina Jasso (San Benito) had a stolen base each.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce closes out the trip to the Peach State with a rematch against Davis & Elkins on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. EST.