ROCK HILL, S.C. ? Head coach Missy Phillips-Dickerson knew it
would not be easy to defend their Big South Conference title, but
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is showing why they are the team to
beat in the league.
The Islanders swept Birmingham-Southern, taking 3-0 and 7-1
victories, improving to 7-3 in conference play. TAMUCC pounded out
a total of 26 hits, including tying a school record with 19 hits in
the second game.
Not only did the Islanders do it with the bat, but the piching
staff, consisting of Sarah Pauly and Dani Damel limited the
Panthers to just three hits on the day, with Pauly throwing a
one-hitter in the first game and picking up both victories in the
sweep. In the second game, Damel started the game, allowing the
other two hits in game in three and one third innings pitched.
Pauly came in relief to pick up the win as she pitched three and
two thirds innings without giving up a hit while striking out
five.
In the Islanders? 3-0 shutout win in the first game, Pauly
continued to dominate opposing batters, striking out 16 while
allowing just one hit over seven innings pitched.
The Islanders scattered seven hits en route to the win, scoring
runs in the second, fifth and sixth inning. In the top of the
third, Rachel Kitchens singled in Katie Evans with a base hit up
the middle to score the game?s first run. Evans led off the inning
with a hit-by-pitch, her 12th of the season, before Kitchens
singled her in.
In the top of the fifth, the Islanders picked up four hits, but
left the bases loaded after scoring just one run in the inning.
Lindsey Maxey led off the inning with a base hit to left field,
while Shana Washington and Michelle Petree and Erica Armenta each
singled.
Armenta?s single to second base scored Kitchens with one out, but
were unable to score again in the inning. The Islanders would
strike again in the sixth frame when Evans led off the inning with
a homerun over the left field fence to give Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi a 3-0 lead they would not relinquish.
In the second game, The Islanders scored four runs in the top of
the seventh inning to complete the sweep over the Panthers. TAMUCC
led off the inning with three straight base runners with Kitchens
and Petree reaching on singles up the middle. Shana Washington
reached on an error by pitcher Erin Haggard to load the bases.
Christy Cortez, who finished the game with a pair of hits and RBI,
singled through the left side to score Washington. The Islanders
would then see three consecutive hits that scored three runs to
seal the victory.
The win improved the Islanders to 24-19 on the year and will face
Liberty in a doubleheader in the final two games of conference
play. TAMUCC will have played 12 games in six consecutive games on
their Big South Conference road trip.
