COMMERCE – Maddie Cason and
Tatum Wright combined for nine hits and eight RBIs to help the East Texas A&M University softball team sweep the A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders by a pair of 9-1 wins in five innings on Friday at John Cain Family Field, winning the first conference series since 2023.
The Lions snapped a nine-game losing streak and won both ends of the doubleheader in Southland Conference play for the first time. The two wins on Friday are the first two run-rule wins over SLC opponents for the Lions. East Texas A&M can pick up its first ever sweep in SLC action with a win on Saturday.
The wins on Friday were East Texas A&M's first ever wins over the Islanders and is now 6-21 on the season and 2-3 in SLC action, matching the conference wins from a season ago.
The Islanders fall to 7-18 overall and 1-4 against SLC opponents. The series win for the Lions is the first since winning two of three over Northwestern State at home in 2023 and third overall since joining the SLC.
Game One: EAST TEXAS A&M 9, A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 1 (Five Innings)
The Islanders left two on base in the top of the first and the Lions capitalized with four in the bottom of the first.
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) was hit by a pitch and Cason (Honey Grove) hit a bunt single in the infield.
Cason stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error on the play as Rodrigues scored the first run of the game.
Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) drove in Cason with a sacrifice bunt.
Stephanie Tapia (Yuma, Ariz.) drew a walk and after advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Hailey Montemayor (Lubbock – Monterey), Wright (Frisco – Centennial) drilled a two-run home run to left, her third of the season.
TATUM WRIGHT HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
After both teams left a runner on base in the second, the Lions plated two more in the third, both off the bat of Wright. Anger drew a walk to lead off the inning and stole second, while Tapia drew another walk and both runners advanced a base on another sacrifice bunt by Montemayor. Wright hit an opposite-field triple to right, plating both Tapia and Anger. The Islanders forced a double play to end the inning.
Karisa Lopez singled to left to lead off the top of the fifth for the Islanders and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by CJ Castilla. Mimi Thornton drove in Lopez with an RBI single up the middle for the Islanders' only run in the game.
Anger led off the bottom of the fifth with a towering home run to left, her fourth of the season, matching her total from a year ago.
CHARLI ANGER HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
After a strikeout and a groundout, Wright drew a walk and came around to score on a double to right center by
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.).
Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) delivered the five-inning walk-off hit for the Lions with a single through the left side, plating Miehe.
AALIYAH WILCOX WALK-OFF HIGHLIGHT
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) limited the Islanders to just three hits, while striking out six, to pick up her second win of the season, allowing just one earned run. Kendra Winfrey got the loss for the Islanders, surrendering five earned runs in two innings.
At the plate for the Lions, Wright went 2 for 2 with four RBIs, while Cason went 2 for 3.
Game Two: EAST TEXAS A&M 9, A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (Five Innings)
Castilla drew a walk to lead off the nightcap and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Thornton. After a groundout, Castilla scored on an RBI double to right center by Monee Montilla.
Rodrigues led off the bottom of the first with a single to left. She then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cason reached on a fielder's choice as Rodrigues beat the throw at the plate. Cason stole second, Anger drew a walk, and Tapia hit a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.
After a strikeout, Wright collected two more RBIs with a two-run single up the middle, bringing home Cason and Anger. Miehe loaded the bases once again in the inning by drawing a walk and Wilcox plated Tapia on a sacrifice fly to center.
Both teams left two on base in the second and the Lions had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth but could not plate a run.
Five runs on six hits and an error came around to score for the Lions in the bottom of the fifth as they walked off once again. Neveah Terrell (Pennsauken, N.J.) came in as a pinch hitter, drew a walk, and then stole second.
Wright singled to second as Terrell advanced to third. The Lions executed a double steal with Terrell scoring and Wright advancing to second. After a strikeout, Wilcox plated Wright with a one-run single to center.
Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.) came in as a pinch hitter and doubled up the middle with Wilcox advancing to third. After a strikeout, Cason singled to short with Wilcox scoring on the play, and Arzola scored on a throwing error by the Islanders on the play.
After an Islander pitching change, Anger drew a walk, and Tapia loaded the bases with a single to the pitcher. Terrell came back to the plate in the inning and singled up the middle for the Lions' second walk-off in as many games.
NEVEAH TERRELL WALK-OFF HIGHLIGHT
Just like Sanchez in the first game,
Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) held the Islanders to just three hits and just one outside of the first when the Islanders scored their only run of the game. Muller picked up the complete-game win for her second win on the season, striking out three in five innings.
At the top of the Lion batting order, Rodrigues went 2 for 4, while Cason went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Tapia went 2 for 3 in the game and Wright went 2 for 2 with two RBIs as well. Malia Williams allowed nine earned runs in 4.2 innings for the loss for A&M-Corpus Christi.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions go for the sweep over the Islanders at noon on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
