LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team took on the league's top team in McNeese Tuesday in a doubleheader and fell both times in run-rule decisions 11-3 and 10-2 to begin a rare midweek conference series.
The Islanders (9-28, 3-14 SLC) saw two early leads in both games before McNeese (27-17, 13-4 SLC) exploded in later innings with 12 hits in each to end the contests early. Meanwhile, the most A&M-Corpus Christi could get past was seven hits in the first game and four in the latter.
The Cowgirls tallied a run first in the first half of the doubleheader, scoring in the bottom of the first. The Islanders answered with two in the next frame to see a 2-1 advantage over first-place McNeese early.
After
Karisa Lopez doubled to the left center gap, the scoring position didn't matter as
Zoey Stewart sent her ball to a similar spot but deeper for the two-run homer in the top of the second. It marks Stewart's first career home run.
McNeese knotted the game at 2-all with a run in the third before the Islanders once again went ahead with a tally themselves in the fourth.
Monee Montilla led off with a double to left and Lopez knocked her second hit of the day with a single to right to put a runner on third.
Natalie Garcia, who pinch ran for Montilla, scored when the next ball was put into play for a 3-2 lead.
However, the home squad found a groove and plated three in the fourth and six in the fifth to end game one 11-3.
The second game saw a different lineup of Islanders finding some offense, with
Paolina Baez leading off with a double deep to the gap in right. The base hit from
Madison Espinoza then gave Baez enough time to round third and head home for the quick 1-0 score.
Mimi Thornton, who reached on a hit by pitch and advanced following Espinoza's single, then scored on the sacrifice fly courtesy of Montilla as the Islanders led it 2-0.
It would be the only scoring done by the visiting squad in the backend of the doubleheader, with McNeese going on the post three three-run innings for a 10-2 run-rule.
On deck:
The Islanders will look to salvage the series in tomorrow's game three of the series with a first pitch at 1 p.m. They will then return home this weekend to host Nicholls to conclude a nine-game stretch of nine games.
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