CONROE – The No. 22 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team came back from an early deficit and picked up a 9-3 win over Arkansas Tech on Saturday night in the opening game of the ATU Winter Invitational at the Scrap Yard Complex.
 
The Lions move to 2-1 overall on the season with the win. TAMUC plays two games Sunday in the tournament, taking on Colorado School of Mines at 10 a.m., followed by a matchup with Harding at noon.
 
Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge) was 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) and Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) each had two hits.

The Lions smashed six doubles on their 11 hits, with Williams' pair and one each from Boley, Dutton, Chanlee Oakes (Emory – Rains) and MacKenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central).
 
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) moved her record to 2-0 on the season with a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits and six walks with nine strikeouts.
 
"It was a great win for Emily Otto tonight. We hit extremely well and everyone played well together," said interim head coach Gay McNutt. "They are a great team who's well coached, and it was a great all-around game for us."
 
The first inning was an adventure, as field damage required a change to another field in the complex. After a pair of opening walks, Otto escaped major damage with only one run allowed. The Lions trailed 1-0 after the first frame. ATU added another run in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI double.
 
A&M-Commerce got on the board in the top of the third inning, with Dugi starting the rally by drawing a walk followed by a Dutton RBI double. Dutton then scored on a Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) RBI groundout to tie the game up at 2-all. Williams and Avery Boley then smashed back-to-back RBI doubles, and the Lions moved into a 4-2 lead in the middle of the third.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, Avery Boley added to the Lion lead. Schaefer reached on an error and pinch runner Alina Jasso (San Benito) moved to third on Williams' double. Boley then doubled home the duo to push the lead to 6-2. ATU responded with a run in the bottom of the frame and had the tying run at the plate with one out, but Otto earned a strikeout and a lineout to keep the score at 6-3.
 
The Lions pushed another two runs across without a hit in the sixth when Williams earned a bases loaded walk and Terry scored on a wild pitch. Dugi led off with a double in the seventh and scored on Terry's infield single to cap the scoring. Otto allowed three baserunners in the final two innings without a hit, but none of them scored.