COMMERCE – The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks pulled away late in two close games on Friday evening to take the series over the East Texas A&M University softball team by scores of 12-3 and 11-6 at the John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
GAME 1: SFA 12, EAST TEXAS A&M 3
Neither team scored through the first two innings of the game. Morgan Wright hit a two-run single in the top of the third, followed by an RBI double by Kyi'Marri Ester, and Malia Jones drove in two on a base hit to plate five runs in the third for the Lumberjacks.
 
The Lions got a run back in the bottom of the inning with Emma Rodrigues (Little Elm – John Paul II) reaching on a bunt base hit and coming around to score on an RBI double by KK Cosek (Helendale, Calif.).
 
On the first pitch of the top of the fourth, Adelyn Becerra hit a home run to left center and then Ellie Vance drove in a run in the sixth. Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial) drilled her 12^th home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth with Cosek also scoring on the play.
 
Kayden Frazier drew a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded, Molly Dwyer cleared the bases with a three-run double, and Kylie Bishop added another run on an RBI double as five more runs were scored by the Lumberjacks in the seventh.
 
Rodrigues went 2 for 2 for the Lions, while Aaliyah Wilcox (Covington, Ga.) went 2 for 3. Emma Olsen (Elk Grove, Calif.) got charged with 12 earned runs in 6.1 innings for the loss and Amelia Hatthorn got the win for the Lumberjacks, giving up three earned runs, while striking out four.
 
GAME 2: SFA 11, EAST TEXAS A&M 6
Lilly Bean hit a two-run single to left center in the second for the first runs of the game for SFA. Ellie Vance plated Bean on an RBI groundout and then Becerra hit a three-run home run.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Hailey Montemayor (Lubbock – Monterrey) drove in Layni Kimura (Westminster, Calif.) with a base hit to right center.
 
The Lions loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and Wilcox cleared them with a three-run double down the left field line; while advancing to third on the play and she scored on an RBI base hit up the middle by Kimura.
 
Becerra tacked on three more RBIs on a bases-clearing double in the sixth, while Paul plated Becerra on an RBI base hit, and Ester hit an RBI double to score Paul.
 
The Lions added a run in the bottom of the seventh with Lexi Gamez (Orange, Calif.) hitting an RBI double to left with Kimura coming around to score, who went 3 for 3 in the game.
 
Cosek and Montemayor had two hits in the game as well. Madison Kloepper (Llano) got the loss in the circle, allowing six earned runs in 1.2 innings.
 
For the Lumberjacks, Crimson Bryant tossed 5.1 innings and allowed five earned runs for the win, while Kai Hudson got the save, as she surrendered one earned run in 2.2 innings.
 
SFA wins the series to move to 24-19 on the season and 8-9 in Southland Conference play, while East Texas A&M drops to 6-36 overall and 1-16 in conference play.
 
UP NEXT
The series closes out on Saturday at noon. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.