LUBBOCK – A six-run rally in the seventh inning in game one on Friday at PlainsCapital Park propelled the No. 21 ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team to a 9-6 win over the No. 10 ranked Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps. The Lions used four home runs in the nightcap to win 6-3 and sweep the twinbill.
Both teams entered the day in a three-way tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference standings. Based on results in Lubbock and UT Tyler, who was the third team that was tied for the conference lead, falling to Angelo State, the Lions end the day with a sole possession of first place at 13-1. The Lions are 28-6 overall and drop the Lady Chaps to 25-5.
Entering the seventh inning in game one, the Lions trailed 6-3, but two runs on errors by the Lady Chaps, a game-tying hit by
Alyssa LeBlanc, and a home run each from
Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) and
Sabrina Anguiano (Riverside, Calif.) mounted the comeback. LeBlanc hit two home runs in game two, while picking up the complete-game win.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
GAME 1: No. 21 A&M-Commerce 9, No. 10 Lubbock Christian 6
Alina Jasso (San Benito) and
Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) reached base safely via a walk and a fielding error, respectively, to begin the game.
Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) used the wind to drill a home run off the scoreboard and give the Lions a 3-0 lead before the first out. It was Schaefer's first home run of the season.
MADISON SCHAEFER HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
The Lady Chaps chipped away at the Lion lead with a run each in the third and fourth innings. After the first two runners got on base in the third, Savannah Wysocki drove in Angela Donaldson with a sac fly to center. Three straight hits to start the fourth brought in another run for the Lady Chaps on a base hit by Kasey Flores that plated Brooke Makenson.
With runners at second and third and no outs in the fourth,
Destiny Vasquez (Norwalk, Calif.) came in relief of
Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) and collected two strikeouts as well as forced a groundball in which the Lions chose to get the out at home to keep it at 3-2 after four.
Three straight walks loaded the bases for Lubbock Christian in the fifth and Flores sailed a grand slam with two outs to bring everyone home and give the Lady Chaps a 6-3 lead.
After the first inning, the Lions had three innings in which they had two runners on with no outs, but could not score in any of those innings until the seventh.
MacKenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) started the rally for the Lions in the seventh with a lead-off double to left. The Lady Chaps had a pitching change with Maxine Valdez coming into the game. Jasso drew a walk to put two on with no outs once again. Terry laid down a bunt in the infield that was not fielded by the Lady Chaps and two throwing errors allowed both Dugi and Jasso to score and Terry advanced to third.
After an infield pop out, LeBlanc hit a single to left to allow Terry to score and she came around to score on a go-ahead two-run home run to center field from
Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic), her third of the year.
AVERY BOLEY HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
Following a strikeout,
Sabrina Anguiano (Riverside, Calif.) increased the Lion lead with her sixth home run of the season. This one just missed the scoreboard.
SABRINA ANGUIANO HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
LeBlanc came in to get the save in the seventh. After the Lady Chaps singled to start the inning, she collected a fly out, had a groundball hit the Lady Chaps runner for the second out, and struck out Flores to earn her first save of the season.
Boley and LeBlanc both went 2 for 3 in the game and drew a walk each. Otto went three innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits, and no walks, while striking out two. Vazquez went three innings and got the win to improve to 2-1 on the season. She punched out six.
For the Lady Chaps, Flores and Tyla Lee had two hits each. Taylor Franco pitched six innings and was charged with Dugi's run in the seventh. She had 10 strikeouts in the no decision. Mattye Tyler came in to get the final out for the Lady Chaps in the seventh.
GAME 2: No. 21 A&M-Commerce 6, No. 10 Lubbock Christian 3
LeBlanc helped her own cause before throwing her first pitch of the game with a two-run home run to deep center. Terry reached on a single in the first and scored on the home run.
ALYSSA LEBLANC FIRST HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
The Lady Chaps were held scoreless through two and the Lions did not manage to score in the second either.
Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) slapped her second home run of the year to make it 3-0 in the top of the third.
SAMANTHA DUTTON HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
In the bottom of the third, Lubbock answered with three runs to tie the game. Kamryn Gibbs hit a solo home run to right, Caroline Chilton scored on a passed ball, and Tiarra Delrosario touched home plate on a RBI groundout by Lee.
Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) quickly gave the lead right back to the Lions with her seventh home run of the year, which for the time being tied her with LeBlanc for the team lead. Anguiano slapped an opposite field triple and scored on Modrego's long ball.
UXUA MODREGO HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
LeBlanc took the home run lead back from Modrego with her eighth home run overall and second in the game in the fifth, this one was a solo shot.
ALYSSA LEBLANC SECOND HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
The Lady Chaps left three runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings combined to keep the lead at three for the Lions.
Dutton and LeBlanc had two hits each in game two for the Lions, who were held to just six hits as a team. All six runs for the Lions were scored via home runs. LeBlanc has won 10 starts in a row, she allowed eight hits on Friday, but was charged with just one earned run, and punched out seven.
Tyler got the loss for the Lady Chaps, allowing all four earned runs in 4.2 innings on six hits and two walks. Delrosario and Gibbs had multi-hit games for the Lady Chaps.
UP NEXT
The Lions' tough road trip continues on Sunday at No. 13 Angelo State with game one scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
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