CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi softball team opened its fall home schedule today and swept Texas A&M – International in a doubleheader at Chapman Field. The Islanders won the first game 6-5 and followed it with a 4-1 victory.
The Islanders will continue its fall slate next weekend when they host Coastal Bend College and Alvin Junior College. The team will welcome Coastal Bend College on Friday, Oct. 18 for a doubleheader at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. before concluding fall play against Alvin Junior College on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
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GAME 1: TEXAS A&M – CORPUS CHRISTI 6, TEXAS A&M – INTERNATIONAL 5
The Dustdevils opened the game with two runs in the top of the first on three hits, however the Islanders answered back with a five-run bottom of the first to take a 5-2 lead.
Freshman Mackinzee Griebel started things off with a walk before stealing second. After Dani Tefft eached on a Dustdevil throwing error, Griebel scored to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Mickayla Cochran followed with a fielder’s choice to advance Tefft to third. With runners on the corners, Valerie Perez was hit by the pitch to load the bases. J.J. Jackson followed with a walk to plate Tefft and load the bases for Laura Phillips. The senior stepped to the plate and drilled a single to score Cochran and Perez. Jessica Mendez, who came in to pinch run for Phillips, scored the Islanders’ fifth run of the inning, on a Brittany Morse sacrifice fly to right field.
TAMIU tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth on a double and two hits before Jackson stepped to the plate and crushed a lead-off home run over the right field wall in the bottom of the fourth to give the Islanders a 6-4 lead. The Dustdevils added another run in the top of the fifth on a bases loaded walk, but the Islanders escaped with a 6-5 victory.
The Islanders tallied six hits to the Dustdevils’ eight. Junior Hailey Galloway led the Islanders’ bats with two hits while Perez, Jackson, Phillips and Liz Carter each chipped in one apiece.
Carter received the starting nod in the circle and tallied three strikeouts in five innings. Freshman Katie Blanar relieved Carter in the top of the sixth and retired six out of the seven batters she faced.
GAME 2: TEXAS A&M – CORPUS CHRISTI 4, TEXAS A&M – INTERNATIONAL 1
In the second game, the Islanders tallied six hits, including three from Tefft. The Islanders scored two runs in the bottom of the first on three hits to take a 2-0 early lead. Griebel started things off with a walk before advancing to second on a bunt by Tefft. Cochran followed with a bunt to load the bases for Perez. The senior ripped a single through the left side to score Griebel and Tefft and give the Islanders a 2-0 lead.
The Islanders added another run in the bottom of the third on one hit. After Griebel reached on an error by the Dustdevils’ shortstop, Tefft followed with her second hit of the game with a single to shortstop. Griebel and Tefft then each picked up a stolen base to advance to second and third for Cochran, who loaded the bases with a walk. After an Islanders’ strikeout, Jackson reached on a bases loaded walk to score Griebel and pad the Islanders’ lead to 3-0.
TAMIU plated its first run of the game in the top of the fourth on a double and a single. The Islanders followed with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jessica Mendez tallied a single through the middle and advanced on a bunt by Tefft before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cochran.
Along with Tefft’s three hits, Cochran, Perez and Mendez all collected one hit apiece. Blanar started in the Islanders’ circle and registered one strikeout in four innings. Carter relieved Blanar in the top of the fifth and also tallied a strikeout.
