TUCSON, Ariz. – Trailing by four runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team completed an empathic comeback to down the Weber State Wildcats, 8-7, in walk-off fashion on Sunday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Down 7-3 entering the seventh,
Avery Zeigler (Southlake Carroll) singled to lead off the inning and was pinch run for by
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.).
Shelby Hodge (Katy – Cinco Ranch) came in as a pinch hitter and hit a base hit.
Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.) came in to pinch run for her.
Camile Nunez (Madera, Calif.) drove in Cosek with a sacrifice fly to right, while Olsen scored on a two-run no-doubt home run to left by
Ayanna Williams (Round Rock – Cedar Ridge), her second home run in as many days.
AYANNA WILLIAMS HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
With just an out in the inning and the Lions being down by one,
Kaydee Bennett (Caddo Mills) singled to center, representing as the game-tying run. After a fly out,
Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) drew a walk and
Elizabeth Guerrero (International School of Americas) singled up the middle to drive in Bennett, while moving to second and Sefe advanced to third with the game now tied.
America Rubio (El Paso – Montwood) reached on a fielding error and it allowed Sefe to score the game-winning run, just before the Wildcats tagged Guerrero at third. It is the second walk-off win of the season for the Lions.
WALK-OFF RUN HIGHLIGHT
"That was a fun way to end the weekend with a walk-off and to come from behind and win in the seventh," said coach
Brittany Miller. "We continue to make strides every week!"
The Lions opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after a one-out walk drawn by
Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) and she scored on a long home run to left by
Diamond Sefe, her third of the season.
DIAMOND SEFE HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
After being held scoreless for the first two innings, Weber State took the lead with four runs on five hits and an error in the third. Makayla Donahoo singled to center, and she scored on a two-run home run to right center by Katelyn Whiting.
Lauren Hoe singled to left and scored on RBI triple down the left field line by Mika Chong, who scored on an RBI base hit by Emily Ruhl.
The Wildcats had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth and Chong drove in a run on a base hit, while Ruhl drove in another on a fly out. Whiting hit an RBI double down the left field line to make it 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Bennett led off the inning with a base hit, Griffith was hit by a pitch, and both runners advanced on a groundout. Guerrero drove in Bennett with a groundout and three fly outs kept Weber State off the scoreboard in the seventh.
Whiting went 3 for 3 with three RBIs for the Wildcats, while Mandy Johnson took the loss in the circle. She pitched the complete game and allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and two hits. She struck out two.
Bennett went 2 for 4 at the leadoff spot and Guerrero, Williams, as well as Sefe had two RBIS each.
McKenna Meadors (The Woodlands Christian Academy) got the no decision in the circle, going 2.2 innings in her start and allowed four earned runs.
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) was the winning pitcher in both games this weekend. On Sunday, she went 4.1 innings and allowed just one earned run, while striking out two.
UP NEXT
The Lions' next scheduled game is on March 14 at North Texas. The doubleheader in Denton begins at 4 p.m. The originally scheduled tournament at Nevada on March 10-11 has been canceled.
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