COMMERCE – A pinch-hit walk-off base hit from Aaliyah Wilcox sealed a 1-0 win for the East Texas A&M University softball team on Friday night over Rhode Island and split the second day of the Lion Invitational at the John Cain Family Softball Complex after falling 5-1 to Marist earlier in the day.
 
The Lions move to 5-4 on the season through nine games, which is the earliest they have recorded their fifth win in the Division I era. Marist, who has played in the NCAA Tournament three of the last four seasons and won an NCAA Tournament game in 2025 is 4-3 after going 1-1 on the day, while Rhode Island began its season on Friday and went 1-1 as well.
 
The extra-inning win for East Texas A&M was its first such win since beating North Dakota State in extras at home last season.
 
GAME 2: EAST TEXAS A&M 1, RHODE ISLAND 0 (Eight Innings)
The two teams combined to leave 14 runners on base through the first seven innings. The Rams left the bases loaded in the second as well.
 
In the top of the eighth, URI moved its ghost runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk, the Lions tagged out the go-ahead runner in a rundown between the plate and third base and then forced a ground out to end the inning with no runs allowed.
 
Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.) sacrificed bunted the ghost runner, Zoey Hipolito (Ontario, Calif.) to third, in the bottom of the inning. Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) entered the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a base hit to short, which was just deep enough for Hipolito to come around and score.
 
Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) tossed an eight-inning shutout with five strikeouts. She picked up her first win of the season, while Sarah Trosin pitched the final two innings of the game, but got the loss for URI.  
 
GAME 1: MARIST 5, EAST TEXAS A&M 1
The first run of the game for the Red Foxes came in the second as Lily Roumelis scored on a sacrifice fly to left by McKenna Manley. In the third, Samantha Rogers hit a two-run home run to deep left, and Isabella Manory touched them all on a solo shot in the fourth.
 
Rogers came around to score on a Lion fielding error in the fifth to make it 5-0 after five.
 
Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial) continued her strong start to the season with a home run to deep left in the sixth, her fifth of the season and third straight game with a home run. She had two of the team's four hits in the game. Coming into the day, she was tied for fourth in the country with four home runs.
 
For the Red Foxes, Stella Blanchard tossed a complete-game win, allowing just the home run to Wright, and struck out nine. Madison Kloepper (Llano) got the loss for the Lions, allowing four earned runs in three innings. Muller pitched the final four innings, striking out four and did not allow an earned run.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions are scheduled to face Jackson State at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday night.