COMMERCE – The Lamar Cardinals took a pair of run-rule games over the East Texas A&M University softball team on Saturday afternoon via scores of 14-2 in five innings and 16-8 in six innings to close out the series at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
GAME 1: LAMAR 14, EAST TEXAS A&M 2 (Five Innings)
KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.) singled through the left side in the bottom of the first and scored on an RBI triple to left center by Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.), who came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial).
 
Isabella Flores put the Cardinals ahead in the second with a grand slam to left center. Gracee Hess drew a bases-loaded walk and Flores cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center in the third. An RBI base hit by Cala Wilson and a two-run home run to left by Makenzie Wright helped Lamar score seven runs in the third.
 
In the top of the fifth, Ariel Flores hit a two-run home run and Wilson added a solo home run.
 
Along with the hits from Cosek and Arzola, Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper) and Jaylin Olguin (Fontana, Calif.) added a hit each for the Lions. Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) allowed seven earned runs in three innings to get the loss.
 
Reagan Smith got the complete-game win for the Cardinals. Isabella Flores went 3 for 3 with seven RBIs and a walk.
 
GAME 2: LAMAR 16, EAST TEXAS A&M 8 (Six Innings)
In the top of the first, Ariel Flores and Sicily Windham hit three-run home runs each. In the second, Wright scored on a Lion throwing error for the Cardinals.
 
The first runs of the game for the Lions came in the bottom of the second with Zoey Hipolito (Ontario, Calif.) reaching on a fielder's choice with Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) coming around to score from third.
 
Four runs were scored by the Cardinals in the third as Ariel Flores, Wilson, Wright, and Riley Whitley had an RBI base hit each. In the fourth, Isabella Flores drew a bases-loaded walk and Ariel Flores reached on a fielder's choice, plating another run.
 
Hipolito collected another RBI in the bottom of the fourth, reaching once again on a fielder's choice and plating Wilcox. A two-run double to left center by Layni Kimura (Westminster, Calif.) scored both Anger and Hipolito.
 
Kinlee McGuire scored on a wild pitch and Roxy Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to left, as the Cardinals led 15-4 going into the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Lions scored four in the fifth to extend the game. Wilcox hit an RBI double, plating Olguin. Wright came in to pinch hit and drove in Anger and Wilcox on a base hit, and Gracie Alejo (Waco – Connally) singled through the left side, driving in Lexi Gamez (Orange, Calif.).
 
An RBI triple to center by Wilson put the Cardinals up 16-8 after the top of the sixth and the Cardinals turned a double play with runners at the corners and one out in the bottom of the sixth to secure the sweep.
 
Anger and Wilcox had two hits each in the game for the loss. Victoria Masters (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) got the loss as she surrendered two earned runs in 0.2 innings.
 
For the Cardinals, Kaylee Cuevas got the win, allowing four earned runs in four innings.
 
East Texas A&M falls to 6-27 overall and 1-8 in Southland Conference play, while the Cardinals are 17-15 overall, 5-4 in conference play this season, and 13-0 against the Lions all-time.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions host Grambling for a mid-week non-conference game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.