COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University softball team has started the season with two straight wins for the first time since 2021 following an Opening Day sweep over Bucknell, 11-9, and St. Bonaventure, 4-1, at the John Cain Family Softball Complex on Friday night.
 
The Lions began the season on with wins over the Bison and the Bonnies, who are both 0-2 on the season following Friday's games at the East Texas A&M Leadoff, which continues on Saturday morning.
 
GAME 1: EAST TEXAS A&M 11, BUCKNELL 9
Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) drove in the first runs of the season in the bottom of the first on a two-run single as both Hailey Montemayor (Lubbock – Monterrey) and Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) came around to score.
 
The Bison plated five runs in the third as Skye Perez and Barbara Coppola scored on a pair of throwing errors, while both Shea Malone and Tori Kirkpatrick drew bases-loaded walks. Brooke Popella came around to score on a fielding error as well.
 
In the bottom of the third, Gracie Alejo (Waco – Connally) drove in Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) on an RBI double, while Alejo scored on a one-run single by Rodrigues, who then stole home. Emmie Miehe (Cameron Park, Calif.) brought home Lexi Gamez (Orange, Calif.) on a one-run single for the Lions' fourth run of the inning.
 
The Lions added four more runs in the fourth. Jaylin Olguin (Fontana, Calif.) scored on an obstruction play, while Rodrigues hit a two-run triple, plating Anger and Alejo, and then Gamez hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Rodrigues.
 
Another run for the Bison, scored by Coppola, touched home plate in the sixth on a fielding error and Kirkpatrick drove in Sarah Zimmerman on an RBI base hit.  
 
The Lions responded with a bases loaded walk drawn by Miehe in the sixth. Bucknell made things interesting in the seventh with Marissa Rapino hitting a RBI double to plate Nicole Lioumis and Rapino scored on a single up the middle by Haley Speicher, but the Lions stranded one runner to take the win via a double play.
 
In the circle for the Lions, Victoria Masters (Thousand Oaks, Calif) came in relief and got the win, tossing two innings and allowing one run. Madison Kloepper (Llano) came in to pitch right before the game-ending double play to get the save.
 
For the Bison, Zimmerman got the loss, allowing eight earned runs in five innings.
 
GAME 2: EAST TEXAS A&M 4, ST. BONAVENTURE 1
The Lions scored in the bottom of the first for the second game in a row. This time, it was a two-out home run to deep right by Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial), her first of the season.
 
The Bonnies' Grace Miller tied the game in the top of the second with a solo shot to left.
 
Montemayor plated Wilcox on an RBI double to break the tie in the fifth and then Alejo drove in Montemayor to double the lead.
 
In the sixth, Jenna Joyce (Royse City) came in as a pinch hitter and the redshirt sophomore hit a home run to right on the first pitch, which was her first collegiate home run.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions continue the East Texas A&M Leadoff against South Dakota State on Saturday at 6 p.m. and St. Bonaventure at 8:15 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.