COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University softball team was downed 7-0 on Saturday afternoon to the Incarnate Word Cardinals at the John Cain Family Softball Complex in the final Southland Conference home game of the season.
 
Despite the loss, the Lions remained in eighth place in the SLC standings, holding a two-game lead with now six games left in conference play. East Texas A&M fell to 9-35 on the season and 5-16 in conference action, while UIW is 25-15 overall and 15-6 in SLC play.
 
Victoria Altamirano drew a walk to lead off the game. Ayla Gonzales singled to third and Jaisy Caceres was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Erin Perez plated Altamirano with a base hit to center, while Gonzales scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Jillian Gutierrez.
 
In the top of the fifth, Gutierrez was hit by a pitch with one out and Dominique Guerra and Ryleigh Mata singled to center to load the bases. After a Lion pitching change, Gutierrez scored on a wild pitch as all runners advanced a base. Prisais Quintero drew a walk to load the bases once again.
 
Altamirano singled through the left side as Guerra scored, while the Lions tagged out Mata at the plate to end the inning.
 
Guerra drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the seventh and advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Mata. After a walk drawn by Quintero, Lions made another pitching change. Following a strikeout, Guerra stole third as Altamirano drew a walk to load the bases.
 
Guerra scored on a wild pitch and Bryanna Fuentes came in as a pinch hitter to load the bases. Caceres doubled to left, plating both Altamirano and Quintero.
 
The Lions were limited to just two hits in the shutout win by Larissa Jacquez, who struck out 14. Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) and Maddie Cason (Honey Grove) had a hit each in the game.
 
For the Cardinals, both Gonzales and Perez had two hits each. The Lions used four pitchers in the game as Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) got the loss, allowing two earned runs in two innings.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions play at McNeese next weekend. The two teams play one game on Friday at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader at 1 p.m. next Saturday.