COMMERCE – Avery Zeigler played hero for the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team on Friday afternoon, delivering the walk-off hit in an eight-inning 5-4 win over Nicholls in game one, while the Colonels enjoyed a 15-6 win in six in the second game at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
Zeigler (Southlake Carroll) had six hits in the two games on Friday, which were the Lions' first two games at home this season. A&M-Commerce is 5-21 overall and collected its first Southland Conference win in program history by taking the first game and ends the day with a conference record of 1-1. Nicholls is 16-10 overall and 3-2 in SLC games.
"We battled in the first game to come back and win the first game," said coach
Brittany Miller. "We need to keep fighting tomorrow and take the series."
Game 1: A&M-COMMERCE 5, NICHOLLS 4 (Eight Innings)
Both teams scored a pair of runs in the second. For the Colonels, it was a two-run home run to center field by Samantha Gwiazda, with Molly VandenBout scoring on the play.
VandenBout hit a double with two outs. Following the home run by Gwiazda, the Colonels kept the inning alive with a base hit by Brynne Songy, who made it all the way to third, before the Lions got the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the third,
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.) hit a one-out single, followed by a base hit by
Avery Zeigler (Southlake Carroll), with Miehe moving to third. Both runners scored on a two-run double down the left field line that just stayed fair by
Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge).
Williams was on third with one out, but the Lions could not bring her home.
In the top of the fourth, Melise Gossen doubled to left to lead off the inning, after a foul out, she moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI base hit by VandenBout. Gwiazda reached on a fielder's choice that retired VandenBout. Gwiazda stole second and scored on a single by Songy to right center as Nicholls retook the lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth,
Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) reached safely on a bunt single. She stole second and scored on an RBI base hit to center by
Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.), who was tagged out trying to extend it to a double.
Zeigler led off the seventh with an infield base hit and was pinch run for by
Kasey Kuyrkendall (Royse City). Williams hit a bunt single to move Kuyrkendall to second and she scored on a single to left by
Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial). Despite a runner at first with one out, the Lions were not able to get the game-winning run through.
The Colonels had a runner at second with one out in the eighth, but a long catch in center field by
America Rubio (El Paso – Montwood) ended the inning with no score. In the bottom of the inning,
Elizabeth Guerrero (International School of Americas) drew a one-out walk, followed by an infield base hit by Rubio.
Miehe reached on an error to load the bases with one out and Zeigler brought home Guerrero with a single to left center.
AVERY ZEIGLER WALK-OFF HIGHLIGHT
This was the third walk-off win for the Lions in five wins this season.
Songy went 3 for 3 for the Colonels, while Vandenbout went 2 for four. Zeigler went 3 for 4 in the game for the Lions, while Rubio went 2 for 4.
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) tossed all eight innings and took the win for the Lions. She allowed four earned runs on 10 hits with no walks. Brittney Turner took the loss for Nicholls, she allowed no earned runs in 1.1 innings.
Game 2: NICHOLLS 15, A&M-COMMERCE 6 (Six Innings)
Alexa Poche' reached on a fielding error by the Lions in the first and two runners scored on the play as well. In the second, Abby Andersen had an RBI base hit, while Claire Sisco reached on an error to drove in another run.
Poche' touched them all in the third with a three-run home run. Williams drove in the first run for the Lions in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly while the bases were loaded.
Sisco reached on a fielder's choice and Poche' was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Colonels a 10-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth. Zeigler hit a two-run double in the fifth to make it 10-3 after five.
In the sixth, the Colonels scored five with MaKynli Miller reaching on an error and collecting a RBI, Erin Krause hitting a two-run single, and Gossen recording a two-run double.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sefe drove in a run with a single to right center that bounced off the fence, driving in Jodi de Hart (Pittsburg – Lindale), Guerrero brought in
Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.) on a sacrifice fly, and Sefe scored on an RBI base hit by Zeigler. The Lions left the bases loaded in the sixth.
Andersen, Nicholls' leadoff hitter, had three hits as did Krause, while Gossen and Miller had two hits each. Molly Yoo took the win, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing one earned run, while Averi Paden pitched 2.1 innings in relief and allowed three earned runs.
The Lions had five errors in the game. Zeigler went 3 for 3 with three RBIs in the game.
Anissa Arredondo (San Antonio – Warren) took the loss, pitching 3.1 innings and allowed eight earned runs and recorded a strikeout.
UP NEXT
The rubber game between the Lions and the Colonels is set for Noon on Saturday.
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