COLLEGE STATION – The 2023 season began on Friday morning for the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team at the Davis Diamond. The Lions fell to Michigan State, 11-0, in five innings, and 10-4 to Northern Kentucky.
 
Friday was the first day of competition for the Lions as members of NCAA Division I and first under the direction of first-year coach Brittany Miller.

"We came out and competed today," said Miller. "There were a lot of bright spots and we will continue to grow, compete, and learn as a team." 
 
GAME 1: MICHIGAN STATE 11, A&M-COMMERCE 0 (FIVE INNINGS)
Michigan State pounced early with three runs in the first. A one-out walk drawn by Anna Fox got the first runner on base and she scored on double to left center by Kennedy Wylie. Camryn Wincher followed with a single through the left side that plated Wylie.
 
After a line out, Mandy Esman doubled to left field and brought in Wincher. The Spartans had three hits, one person left on base, and three runs in the first.
 
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) hit a base-hit to left in the bottom of the first, which was the Lions' first hit this season and first as a members of NCAA Division I. The Lions could not get her across though.
 
After a scoreless second inning by both teams, Michigan State added another run in the third. Wicher drew a leadoff-walk, moved to third on a double by Sydney Doloszycki, and scored on a groundout by Esman.
 
The Lions put two on base with two outs in the third with back-to-back singles, but they could not get a run across.
 
The Spartans scored seven runs on four hits and an error in the fourth. The Lions picked up a foul out to start the inning, but two straight walks put two on with one out. Wincher brought in Anna Fox with a single up the middle and then Doloszycki loaded the bases with a base hit.
 
Esman cleared the bases with a three-run triple to left field. Two more walks loaded the bases once again and Kendall Kates brought in two more with a single up the middle. AJ Militello scored the Spartans' 11^th run on a steal. After another walk, the Lions finally ended the inning with a ground out.
 
Michigan State threatened to score more in the fifth with two on with none out, but a fly out and then a double play on a strike out ended the threat. The Spartans struck-out the side in the bottom of the fifth to collect the run-rule win.
 
The Lions had four hits in the game, and they came from Cosek, Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill), Kasey Kuyrkendall (Royse City), and Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge), who hit a double.
 
McKenna Meadors (The Woodlands Christian Academy) started the game in the circle for the Lions and was charged with the loss. She allowed four earned runs on six hits in three innings. Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.) allowed six earned runs in the fourth and Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) tossed a scoreless fifth with one strikeout.
 
Wincher, Doloszycki, Esman, and Kates had two hits each, while Esman drove in five runs to lead the team. Ashley Miller tossed a five-inning shutout with nine strikeouts. She allowed four hits and no walks.
 
GAME 2: NORTHERN KENTUCKY 10, A&M-COMMERCE 3
The Norse put their first runner on base in the first with a one-out double, but two fly outs ended the inning. Kaydee Bennett (Caddo Mills) led off the bottom of the first with a single to right and stole second to move in to scoring position.
 
Griffith followed with an infield single that moved Bennett moved to third, she then stole second to put runners at second and third with no outs. After two straight outs, Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) drove in the first two runs of the season with a double to left.
 
Jan Rhoads scored the first run of the game for the Norse in the third. She got on base with a walk, moved to second on a ground out and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Olivia Pastin.
 
In the bottom of the third, Williams added the first home run of the season for the Lions, hitting it to left. The ball bounced off the scoreboard and increased the Lion lead back up to two.
 
The Norse took the lead in the fourth with six runs on five hits. Tatum Biddle led off the inning with a single, she scored on an RBI double by Megan Lenhart, who stole home. Maddie Lacer drove in another run and the Norse loaded the bases with one out and they were cleared by Sydni Barnes with a triple to right field.
 
The Lions were held scoreless until the seventh, while the Norse added three more in the sixth. Rhoads triple to right center and scored on a single by Ella LeMonier. She advanced to third on an error and stole home. Barnes drove in another run to make it 10-3.
 
Elizabeth Guerrero (International School of Americas) drew a lead-off walk in the seventh, she moved to second on a bunt by Kuyrkendall, and scored on an RBI base hit by Bennett.
 
Back-to-back base hits put two on with two out in the seventh for the Lions, but the Norse were able to force a pop out to end the game.
 
Bennett went 3 for 4 in the game and drove in a run, while Sefe drove in two. Anissa Arredondo (San Antonio – Warren) tossed 3.1 innings in her first start as a Lion. She allowed five earned runs and struck out two.
 
Sanchez gave up four runs in two innings, while striking out two. Madeline Janssen (Earlham, Iowa) pitched the seventh, her first collegiate start, and she tossed a shutout inning.
 
The top three batters in the Norse order had two hits each in LeMonier, Pastin, and Barnes. They also combined to drive in six runs. Madisyn Eads tossed the complete game win for Northern Kentucky. She struck out five, while allowing eight hits, four earned runs, and three walks.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions have just one game on Saturday, facing Texas A&M under the lights at 6 p.m.