STEPHENVILLE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team fell in heartbreaking fashion to Northern Colorado by a score of 7-6 on Saturday morning at the Tarleton Softball Complex. The Lions fell 8-0 in five innings to Tarleton to close out the day.
The Lions drop to 1-8 on the season, with two more games at the Whataburger Invitational on Sunday.
Coach
Brittany Miller said, "we battled from behind the first game, made adjustments and fought, but came up a little short. We are competing and putting the pieces of the puzzle together!"
GAME 1: NORTHERN COLORADO 7, A&M-COMMERCE 6
Both teams combined to leave nine runners on base through the first 3.5 innings. Each team also left the bases loaded at least once. The first runs of the game came in the bottom of the fourth. Lauren Strathearn hit a one-out single and Angelique Navarro followed with a two-run home run to left.
Three straight singles to start the fifth loaded the bases with no outs for the Bears. Alexsi Baraskhkoff hit the fourth consecutive base hit and drove in Alyssa Wenzel. After a pitching change, Nya Chacon drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to left. A fielder's choice and a ground out ended the inning for Northern Colorado. The Bears had four hits, two runs in the inning and left two on base.
Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) led off the top of the sixth by reaching on an error.
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.) came in as a pinch hitter and singled to left, and
Avery Zeigler (Southlake Carroll) followed with an infield single to load the bases with no outs.
The Lions got on the board thanks to a two-run base hit by
Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial). A fielding error by the Bears allowed the second run to score and Wright to move to second, she was pinch run for by
Kasey Kuyrkendall (Royse City).
Elizabeth Guerrero (International School of Americas) put the Lions in front with a long three-run home run to left, her first of the season.
ELIZABETH GUERRERO HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
Northern Colorado responded with a pair of hits to start the sixth and had runners at second and third with two outs. Carson Fischer had a groundball up the middle that went off the pitcher's glove and allowed two runs to score as she beat out the throw at first.
Down to their final three outs, the Lions put a rally together in the top of the seventh.
Kaydee Bennett (Caddo Mills) led off the inning with a single up the middle and Sefe followed with a single to left. Miehe moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Northern Colorado opted to intentionally walk Zeigler and loaded the bases with one out.
Wright hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Bennett and tied the game. The Lions' rally ended with a strikeout. In the bottom of the seventh, Strathearn reached base safely with a one-out base hit and stole second with two outs in the inning. Peyton Gale hit a fly ball to center that was dropped and allowed Strathearn to score from second and end the game.
The Lions had seven hits in the game, with two coming from Bennett. Both Wright and Guerrero had three RBIs each in the game. Anissa Arrendondo (San Antonio – Warren) started the game in the circle and allowed four earned runs in four innings of walk.
McKenna Meadors (The Woodlands Christian Academy) allowed two earned runs in two innings of relief.
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) got the loss after tossing the seventh inning.
For Northern Colorado, both Wenzel and Strathearn went 3 for 4 in the game and Fischer had a multi-hit game as well. Isabelle DiNapoli got a no-decision for her start. She surrendered four earned runs on five hits, one walk, and struck out six. Erin Caviness pitched the top of the seventh and got the loss.
GAME 2: TARLETON 8, A&M-COMMERCE 0 (Five Innings)
The Lions left four runners on base against the Texans and were shutout for the second time this weekend. The Texans added their first two runs in the bottom of the second. Brady Rowland drew a one-out walk and scored on a two-run home run to right center by Kayla Wallace.
In the bottom of the third, MacKenzie Peterson led off the inning with an infield single, after a fly out, Austin Germain singled and they both scored a triple to right center by Kelci Hill, who scored on an RBI base hit by Wallace.
The first nine Lion batters went down in order. Bennett broke up the perfect game in the top of the fourth with a single to left and Sefe drew a walk. The next three retired in order to end the scoring chance for the Lions.
Peterson doubled to center with one out in the fourth and Germain drew a two-out walk. Hill hit a two-run double to left center that brought both runners in and Hill scored on an RBI double to left by Katy Schaefer, which also pushed the Tarleton lead to eight.
A&M-Commerce tried to stave off the run-rule loss by putting two on with no outs in the fifth, but Tristan Bridges, who had the complete-game win in the circle, retired the next three batters, and moved to 3-2 on the season.
For the Lions, Bennett and
Shelby Hodge (Katy – Cinco Ranch) had one hit each, while Sefe and Williams drew a walk each. Peterson and Wallace went 2 for 2 in the game for Tarleton, while Hill went 2 for 3. Bridges struck out seven in the game.
UP NEXT
The Lions close out the Whataburger Invitational on Sunday, taking on Creighton at 11:15 a.m. and the Texans at 1:30 p.m.
-TAMUC-
