COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University softball team suffered two close losses to the South Dakota Coyotes on Sunday evening at the John Cain Family Complex via scores of 3-2 and 8-4.
The Lions fall to 3-11 on the season, while the Coyotes improve to 8-5 overall and 3-1 against the Lions this season.
Game One: SOUTH DAKOTA 3, EAST TEXAS A&M 2
Tatum Villota singled down the left field line to lead off the game, followed by a single to left from Alyssa Thorson. Delaney White loaded the bases with a base hit through the right side and Villota scored on a wild pitch, while Piper Ruhl hit into a double play, but Thorson scored on the play.
Clara Edwards homered to left field in the top of the fourth to make it 3-0 in favor of the Coyotes. In the bottom of the fourth,
Maddie Cason (Honey Grove) singled to left center and
Stephanie Tapia (Yuma, Ariz.) hit her second home run in as many days, this one to left field, to bring the Lions within one.
STEPHANIE TAPIA HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
The Lions did not manage to have another base runner in the game. The Coyotes left two runners on base in the game and the Lions left one.
Villota went 2 for 3 in the leadoff spot for the Coyotes, while Cason, Tapia, and
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) had a hit each in the game for the Lions.
McKenna Young collected the complete-game win for the Coyotes and moved to 4-0 on the season. She struck out 11 and allowed three hits and no walks.
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) fell to 0-4 on the season, allowing three earned runs, six hits, and a walk in the complete game. She also struck out two.
Game Two: SOUTH DAKOTA 8, EAST TEXAS A&M 4
On the first pitch of the game, Villota singled to left and Thorson reached on a Lion throwing error, with both Villota and Thorson coming around to score on the play. Seven batters came to the plate in the first for South Dakota as two were left on base as well.
In the bottom of the first,
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) drew a walk and then stole second. After a strikeout,
Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) homered to left, scoring Rodrigues as well.
CHARLI ANGER HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
Ruhl singled to left and Rylie Jones was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs in the second. Villota advanced both runners on a sacrifice bunt, while Ruhl scored on a fielding error by the Lions, with Thorson reaching first on the play.
In the third, Campbell German drew a walk and then Autumn Iversen singled through the left side. Piper Ruhl reached on a fielder's choice with German reaching third and the Lions tagging out Iversen at second. Jones reached on a Lion pitching error, allowing German to score and Ruhl scored on an RBI base hit up the middle by Villota.
The Lions pulled to within one in the fifth. Cosek drew a walk, followed by a single to third from Rodrigues. Cason reached on a throwing error as Cosek scored, while Anger hit into a double play, but Rodrigues scored on the play.
White singled up the middle in the sixth and Edwards doubled to left center. Following a Lion pitching change, Brynnly German singled to short as White scored and Edwards scored on a throwing error, while Campbell German drove in her twin sister on a double down the left field line.
For the Coyotes, Villota, White, and Campbell German had two hits each in the game. Rodrigues went 2 for 3 for the Lions in the game and scored two of the team's four runs.
Madison Evans started the game for the Coyotes and lasted just one inning. Campbell German got the win, allowing two unearned runs in four innings, while
Kate Houser (Lorena) started the game in the circle for the Lions, but did not register an out.
Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.) surrendered one earned run in 2.2 innings to get the loss.
UP NEXT
The Lions and the Coyotes close out the Lion Classic on Monday morning at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
