BEAUMONT – The East Texas A&M University softball team fell in two tightly contested games to the Lamar Cardinals by scores of 8-7, in nine innings, and 6-4 on Friday afternoon at the LU Softball Complex.
The Lions fall to 7-24 overall and 3-5 in Southland Conference play, while Lamar is now 17-13 overall and 5-3 in SLC action.
Game One: LAMAR 8, EAST TEXAS A&M 7 (Nine Innings)
Maddie Cason (Honey Grove) tripled down the right field line with an out in the top of the first and came around to score on a single up the middle by
Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper).
Ava Blakely drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the second, Sicily Windham was hit by a pitch, and Makenzie Wright singled to center to load the bases with no outs for the Cardinals. After a foul out, Blakely scored as Gracee Hess reached on a fielder's choice and the Lions got the out at second. Another foul out ended the inning for the Lions.
In the bottom of the third, Veronica Harrison drew a walk and was pinch run for by Makayla Valle. Cala Wilson singled to left and advanced to second on a Lion fielding error, as Valle scored from first.
After a single from Trinity Brandon, Blakely hit a two-run single to center, plating both Brandon and Wilson.
Anger doubled to center to lead off the fourth and came around to score on a two-run opposite field home run to left by
Stephanie Tapia (Yuma, Ariz.), her fifth of the season.
STEPHANIE TAPIA HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT
In the bottom of the inning, Hess doubled to center, advanced to third on a groundout, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Harrison.
With an out in the top of the fifth,
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) hit a bunt single to third.
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) singled to center as Cosek advanced to third on the play. Cason reached on a fielder's choice as the Cardinals tagged out Cosek at home and Anger tied the game with a two-run double to right center, plating both Rodrigues and Cason.
Blakely singled to left with an out in the bottom of the fifth and Windham followed by a single to center. After a Lion pitching change and a strikeout, Kalie Amos plated Blakely with a single to right.
Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial) doubled to right with an out in the top of the sixth and was pinch run for by Neveah Terrell (Pennsauken, N.J.). After a strikeout,
Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) drew a walk and was pinch run for by
Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.).
Darby Hickey (Plano Senior) came in as a pinch hitter and drilled a two-run double to center, plating both Terrell and Arzola, and puts the Lions ahead 7-6.
Jayne Sepulveda tripled to center to lead off the sixth and Harrison reached on a Lion fielding error in the outfield as Harrison reached. The Cardinals had two on with two outs, but the Lions got out of the inning with a tied game.
The Lions had a runner at second with an out in the seventh, but could not plate her. Lamar went down in order to send the game into extras. Both teams went down in order in the eighth and the Lions went down in order in the top of the ninth as well.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Windham hit an inside-the-park home run to center, which was upheld after a video review, to walk it off.
Anger went 3 for 4 in the game for the Lions, with three RBIs. For the Cardinals, both Blakely and Windham had two hits each in the game. Both teams had 10 hit each in the game, the Lions left four runners on base, while the Cardinals left eight.
In the circle,
Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings for the Lions, while
Kate Houser (Lorena) tossed 4.1 innings in relief and got the loss, allowing one earned run.
For the Cardinals, Madison Guidry started the game and allowed six earned runs in 5.1 innings, while Reagan Smith struck out seven in 3.2 innings and got the win. She allowed one earned run.
Game Two: LAMAR 6, EAST TEXAS A&M 4
Cason hit a bunt single to the pitcher with an out in the top of the first to reach base safely. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Anger and came around to score on a one—run single by Wright.
In the bottom of the second, Brandon doubled to left center, Blakely drew a walk, and both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch to put runners at second and third with no outs. After a walk from Windham, Raigan Brannon doubled to left center, plating both Blakely and Brandon.
Anger drew a walk to lead off the fourth and Wright followed with a base hit to center. Both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Tapia, and after a strikeout, scored on a two-run double to right center by
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.).
The Cardinals' end of the fifth inning began with Hess drawing a walk and Sepulveda tripling to left, to plate Hess, and tie the game at three. After a Lion pitching change, Harrison walked, and after another Lion pitching change and a grounder, Brandon doubled to center, bringing home Sepulveda. The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the fifth.
Amos singled and Hess walked to start the sixth for Lamar. After a Lion pitching change, Sepulveda advanced Amos to third on a flyout, while Hess stole second. Following a strikeout, Wilson brought home both Amos and Hess with a single through the left side.
Wilcox drew a walk in the top of the seventh with one out and was pinch run for by
Kasey Kuyrkendall (Royse City). Hickey entered the game as a pinch hitter and hit her second double of the day, this one also to center, as Kuyrkendall came all the way around to score. The Lions had runners at the corners to end the game.
Wright had two of the five hits for the Lions, while
Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) got the loss for the Lions, allowing four earned runs in four innings of work.
Mallory Pitre tossed the complete-game win for the Cardinals, fanning six. Both Brandon and Brannon had two hits each in the game for Lamar.
UP NEXT
The series finale is set for noon on Saturday.
-ETAMU-
