COMMERCE – An eight-run first inning in the nightcap against Grambling helped the East Texas A&M University softball team take a 10-8 win to split Thursday's action at the John Cain Family Softball Complex after falling 7-4 earlier in the day to SEMO to start the Lion Invitational.
 
The Lions recorded their second split of the season and are now 4-3 overall. East Texas A&M has scored 10 runs or more in two of seven games this season, after scoring double-digit runs just once last season.
 
Thursday was the first day of the 18-game Lion Invitational with action rolling through Sunday. SEMO falls to 1-6 and Grambling is 2-4 as all three teams went 1-1 on the first day.
 
GAME 1: SEMO 7, EAST TEXAS A&M 4
In the top of the first, Brooklyn Saysoff drove in Kamden Hutton and Madison Winkler scored on a sacrifice fly by Gracie Luna to give Redhawks an early lead.
 
Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) drove in Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial) on an infield single. Winkler drove in two runs on a base hit in the second, while Addisyn Martinie doubled to drive in Kinley Wilkins in the third.
 
Wright homered to right center, her third of the season, in the third and then Zoey Hipolito (Ontario, Calif.) plated Gracie Alejo (Waco – Connally) in the fourth to make it 5-3.
 
For SEMO in the fifth, Winkler reached on a fielding error as Wilkins scored and then Saysoff drew a bases-loaded walk with Martinie coming around to score.
 
In the seventh, Kay Olguin (Fontana, Calif.) drove in Jenna Joyce (Royse City) with a double down the right field line. The two teams combined to leave 17 runners on base.
 
For the Lions, Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) got the loss in the circle, allowing two earned runs in 1.2 innings, falling to 0-1 on the season. Maddie Carney tossed the complete game for SEMO, striking out six and allowing four earned runs. She is 1-2.
 
GAME 2: EAST TEXAS A&M 10, GRAMBLING 8
A pair of runs came around to score for the Tigers in the top of the first as Kamryn Broussard doubled to left center, plating Katelynn Walls on a fielding error from third, while Logan-Ray Gaspar hit a single to left, driving home Tavia Leadon.
 
A double steal allowed Wright to steal home and score the first run of the game for the Lions as Layni Kimura (Westminster, Calif.) advanced to third. Alejo plated Kimura and then Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) brought home Hipolito and Alejo on a two-run single.
 
Jaylin Olguin (Fontana, Calif.) continued the inning with an RBI base hit, plating Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.). Wright hit her fourth home run of the season and second of the day, this one being a three-run home run to put the Lions in front 8-2 after one.
 
Eleven batters came to the plate in the inning for the Lions, who scored the eight runs on six hits.
 
In the second, Leadon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as Hailei Harrell scored, then Z'Natria Evans brought home Walls on an RBI single. Cadashia Collins added one more for Grambling on a sacrifice fly as Broussard scored, while Leadon scored on a one-run single from Toni Purchas.
 
Alejo reached on a fielding error in the fourth with Kimura scoring, while Jaiden Richard hit a sacrifice bunt to plate Hailey Hughes in the fifth and Walls scored on a sacrifice fly by Leadon.
 
The final run of the game was plated by Kimura, who hit a one-run single to left as Jaylin Olguin scored from second.
 
Jessica Thompson (Tucson, Ariz.) started the game for the Lions, allowing two earned runs in the first. Madison Kloepper (Llano) tossed the final six innings to get the win, moving to 3-0 on the season. She struck out the final batter of the game, her only punch out.
 
Harrell got the loss for the Tigers, surrendering eight earned runs in the first inning.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions host Marist at 6 p.m. and Rhode Island at 8:15 p.m. on Friday to continue the Lion Invitational. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.