COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team travels to Canyon to participate in the final non-conference weekend series of the season at the West Texas A&M Invitational. The Lions are slated to play three games against teams from the South Central Region this weekend.
LIONS' TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: https://gobuffsgo.com/sports/2022/2/9/2022-wt-invitational.aspx
THE LIONS
After a 2-3 week at the tournament hosted by North Georgia last weekend, the Lions are 7-4 on the season. The Lions picked up two wins over Davis & Elkins, one via the run-rule, and fell in two games against No. 5 North Georgia and once against Florida Southern.
In Sunday's win over the Senators, pitcher
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) had 13 strikeouts, which is the new program record, and infielder
Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) had two three-run home runs. Otto has two shutouts thus far this season, pitching to an ERA of 1.60.
The Lions are stealing 2.91 bases per game, which is 15
th in the country, and they stole nine against the Senators on Sunday, which are the most since 2017. They are slugging .371 as a team, with Williams recording 11 RBIs and
Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) having nine.
Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) has nine stolen bases and leads the team with .395 batting average.
The pitching staff has combined for an ERA of 2.93, with four pitchers starting at least one game. Otto has 43 strikeouts on the season, while
Chanlee Oakes (Emory – Rains) has nine, and
Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) has eight.
After this weekend's series, the Lions return home for a doubleheader against Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 1, before returning to the western part of the state to begin Lone Star Conference play on March 4 at Eastern New Mexico and taking on the Lady Buffs on March 6.
THE SKYHAWKS
Fort Lewis fell in all four games in its season-opening tournament at Lubbock Christian last weekend. They had two run-rules losses, but played No. 4 West Texas A&M to a final score of 4-0.
Alex Tenorio batted .417 in the four-game series, while Cat Rodman has two of the team's five RBIs. Hallie Mann had four pitching appearances last week. Amiee Shanks started two games in the circle and Rodman started one.
Though the Lions and the Skyhawks are in the same region, this is the first meeting between the two teams.
THE WOLVES
Northern State started the season with four games in the Presentational College Dame last weekend and won all four games. Four hitters are batting over .400 on the team and three had home runs. Despite playing four games in two days, the Wolves had the same lineup in all four games.
Meghan Anderson pitched to an ERA of 0.93 in two complete game wins. She had 30 strikeouts, 15 in each game. Reagan Elrod had an ERA of 1.00 in two complete game wins. She had 10 strikeouts and restricted opposing batters to hit .163.
Friday marks the first meeting between the two teams.
THE GRIZZLIES
Adams State took part in the LSC/RMAC crossover on February 5-6, going 2-2 in the four games against teams from the LSC. Following the weekend series, Belinda Vargas was named RMAC Player of the Week, she had six hits in 11 at-bats. Adams State has not appeared in a game since.
Jabe Garbiso batted .556 in the four games in Albuquerque and Vargas had seven RBIs. Taylor Sandoval had an ERA of 0.81 in 8.2 innings of work and picked up one of the wins, while Garbiso started two games and went 1-1 with an ERA of 4.38.
The Lions and the Grizzlies have met just once prior to this weekend and it came in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on February 2, 2018. The Lions took that game, 13-0 in five innings with former Lion,
Kinsie Hebler hitting two home runs, and Otto tossing four shutout innings.
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