COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University softball team fell in two games on the second day of the Lion Classic via scores of 9-1 in five innings to St. Thomas and 14-4 in six innings to North Texas on Saturday at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
The Lions have lost six in a row to drop to 5-10 on the season, while the Tommies went 2-0 on Saturday to improve to 10-4 on the season. UNT and East Texas A&M played three times this week with the Mean Green taking all three games and improving to 5-10 on the season.
 
GAME 1: ST. THOMAS 9, EAST TEXAS A&M 1 (Five Innings)
Cassidy Carby scored the first run of the game in the top of the first as she came around to score on an RBI double to left by Ella Cook.
 
In the third, Abbi Stierlen hit a three-run home run to increase the lead to 4-0. Laken Lienhard cleared the bases in the fourth with a three-run double as Morgan Klein, Maddy Freking, and Avery Wukawitz scored on the play.
 
Carby continued the inning with a home run to left as Laken also scored on the play.
 
The lone Lion run came in the fifth as KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) tripled to left and came around to score on RBI groundout by Avery Rohlman (Littleton, Colo.).
 
Victoria Masters (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) got the loss for the Lions, allowing six earned runs in 3.1 innings. Ava Kleinfeldt tossed the complete game and got the win for St. Thomas, allowing one earned run.
 
GAME 2: NORTH TEXAS 14, EAST TEXAS A&M 4 (Six Innings)
After the Mean Green stranded two in the top of the first, Jenna Joyce (Royse City) led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. Layni Kimura (Westminster, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice with Joyce being tagged out at second.
 
After a popout, a single up the middle by Cosek and a walk drawn by Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) loaded the bases and Zoey Hipolito (Ontario, Calif.) hit her first career home run as everyone scored on the grand slam.
 
Hipolito's grand slam was the first for the program since 2023, second in the Division I era, and 35^th in program history.
 
In the top of the third, Elizabeth Moffitt doubled to center, plating Eva Daniels.
 
Blayze McNemar hit a triple to right center, bringing home Riley McNemar. Blayze McNemar scored on a fielder's choice and then Madison Conley hit a double down the left field line with Ariah Mitchell and Lianna Hull scoring on the play.
 
Moffitt picked up another RBI with a double down the left field line as Conley scored.
 
Daniels drew a bases-loaded walk, Conley reached on a fielder's choice, Moffitt hit an RBI single, and Bradi Harman doubled to left center as both Addie Perry and Moffitt scored on the play.
 
In the sixth, Eva Daniels hit a sacrifice fly to plate Blayze McNemar and a two-run single by Moffitt plated Mithcell and Taylor Platt.
 
Madison Kloepper (Llano) surrendered five earned runs in three innings, while Masters got the loss as she allowed the go-ahead run. Britney Lewinski struck out eight in six innings for the win.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions host St. Thomas (11:15 a.m.) and Southern (3:45 p.m.) to end the Lion Classic on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.