COMMERCE – A thrilling eighth inning walk-off win snapped the six-game losing streak for the East Texas A&M University softball team on Saturday afternoon against the North Dakota State Bison, who won the nightcap, 11-0 in five innings, at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
The Lions are now 3-9 on the season, while the Bison are 5-7. Saturday were the first two ever meetings for the two teams.
Game One: EAST TEXAS A&M 4, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 3 (Eight Innings)
After a scoreless first,
Stephanie Tapia (Yuma, Ariz.) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a home run to left, her first of the season.
STEPHANIE TAPIA HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
The Bison left a runner on base in the third and left them loaded in the fourth, failing to score both times. In the sixth, NDSU left two more runners on base and in the bottom of the sixth, the Lions plated two.
Maddie Cason (Honey Grove) hit a bunt single to third with an out in the sixth and then stole second. After a strikeout, Cason scored on an RBI double to right by
Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial), who advanced to third on a throwing error, and was pinch run for by Bella Arzola (Chino, Calif.), who was driven in by a one-run single from
Hailey Montemayor (Lubbock – Monterey).
TATUM WRIGHT & HAILEY MONTEMAYOR RBI HITS HIGHLIGHT
The Bison tied the game in the top of the seventh. Taylinn Warren came in a pinch hitter and drew a four-pitch walk and Rylee Henderson singled down the right field line to put two on with no outs.
Amai Hanta came in as a pinch hitter and doubled to center, plating Warren. Following a pitching change, Star Cortez hit a fielder's choice to third as Henderson was tagged out at home, but Hanta scored via obstruction.
The game was tied on a sacrifice fly to center by Dean as Cortez scored from third. The Lions had a hit in the seventh and the Bison left one on base in the eighth, with neither team being able to score.
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) led off the bottom of the eighth with a base hit to third and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cason.
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.) reached on a fielding error in the infield as Rodrigues scored the game-winning run from second on the play.
WALK-OFF RUN HIGHLIGHT
Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) went 2 for 3 in the game for the Lions, whereas the top six batters in the order recorded at least one hit in the game.
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) started the game in the circle for the Lions, allowing three earned runs in six innings pitched with a pair of strikeouts.
Kate Houser (Lorena) moved to 2-0 in the circle for the Lions, allowing no earned runs in two innings pitched. Savy Williams got the complete-game loss for the Bison, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings.
Game Two: NORTH DAKOTA STATE 11, EAST TEXAS A&M 0 (Five Innings)
The Bison plated five runs in the first innings with Hanta leading off the game tripling to center, followed by a RBI bunt base hit from Warren, scoring Hanta. Ella Claus drew a bases-loaded walk and Henderson cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center.
In the third, Cortez reached on a fielder's choice as Chloe Woldruff scored on a throwing error from third with the bases loaded. Zoe King scored on a throwing error in the fourth, while Henzler scored on an RBI single from Henderson.
King drove in two on a double to right center and Woldruff picked up an RBI on a groundout to make it 11-0 in favor of the Bison after five. Warren went 3 for 4 in the game, while Henderson went 3 for 3 with four RBIs.
The Lions were limited to just two hits in the game with both Rodrigues and Cason picking up a hit each.
Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) falls to 1-6 on the season, being charged with five earned runs in 0.2 innings.
Kaitlyn Dunford got the complete game shutout win with two strikeouts for North Dakota State.
UP NEXT
The Lions continue the Lion Classic on Sunday against South Dakota with the doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
