ABILENE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team couldn't carry its opening day success into day two of the Wildcat Invitational, dropping 5-1 to Murray State in the morning before being edged out 7-6 in an extra-inning battle to UTEP Saturday night at Poly Wells Field.
A&M-Corpus Christi (2-2) had its best opening day since 2005 after defeating both Murray State and Abilene Christian for the 2-0 start. However, they were bested by the Racers in the rematch to start day two of the weekend despite the solo home run by senior
Quinn De Avila, her career-first as an Islander.
Also getting to round the bases was senior
Gabriella Torres who hit her second home run in just as many days to give the Islanders a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh against UTEP. Junior
Juliana J. Garcia also had herself a day despite the outcome, recording a hit in both games including going 3-for-4 at the plate against UTEP. She has been the lead-off hitter in all four games for the Islanders this weekend.
GAME ONE – Murray State 5, A&M-Corpus Christi 1
Garcia started the Islanders off at the plate and just like game one against the Racers, she got the lead-off hit after singling to right field. Junior
Taniece Tyson walked to reach base as the Islanders had runners on first and second, but Murray State kept the Islanders at bay.
The Racers plated two runs in the next frame and the Islanders wouldn't respond until the top of the third when De Avila hammered it over the left field fence for the solo home run. Senior
Gabriella Torres would single off a bunt in the fourth, but the Islanders couldn't round home again as Murray State took the rematch game 5-1.
Despite allowing two runs in the first, junior
Primrose Aholelei retired nine batters before freshman
Ariella Saenz relieved her. It was Saenz's first appearance in the circle as an Islander and she opened with a three-up, three-down in the fifth.
The teams are now evened at 1-1 in the all-time record, as the first ever meeting was on Friday when the Islanders won it 1-0.
GAME TWO – UTEP 7, A&M-Corpus Christi 6
Game two of the day seemed to be all-UTEP to start, as the Miners led it 3-0 through four innings. Though, Rogron opened the top of the fifth with a single and was able to advance to third. Back-to-back hits for Garcia and Campion drove in Rogron and sent senior
Alexandria Torres to third, who scored on the sacrifice hit by Hoyt in the next at-bat.
Down 3-2, the Islanders headed to the top of the seventh and opened with a trio of hits from Garcia, Campion, and Hoyt. Junior
Taniece Tyson flied out to deep center to help drive in Garcia. Then, G. Torres cleared the bases after blasting a home run to left center as the Islanders led it 6-3.
Despite the late effort, UTEP managed to hit its own three-run home run in the next frame to send the game to extra innings. Garcia got her third hit of the game in the top of the eighth, but A&M-Corpus Christi left her stranded as the Miners then walked it off for the 7-6 win.
The Islanders will close out opening weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a rematch against the hosts of Abilene Christian. On Friday, A&M-Corpus Christi won an 11-3 run-rule decision against the Wildcats for its first win over ACU since 2018 and third ever in Abilene.
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