KINGSVILLE, Texas – Junior Matisen Onofrei (Mesa, Ariz.) picked up two hits and drove in three runs as the No. 9 Texas A&M-Kingsville softball team split a doubleheader with the Oklahoma Christian Eagles, winning the first game 4-2 before dropping the final, 11-5, in Lone Star Conference action at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas on Sunday afternoon.
This split moves the Javelinas' record to 22-3 for the season and 6-2 in the LSC. OC is 15-8 and 4-4 in conference.
GAME ONE
The opener started with three scoreless frames as sophomore Lizette del Angel (Robstown, Texas) battled OC's Kali Crandall. The Eagles couldn't put a runner on through three innings against del Angel while Crandall stranded runners in each of the first two frames.
The visitors grabbed the game's first lead in the fourth, thanks to a double, a single and a one-out RBI knock from Whitney Walde. When Kylie Janzen followed with a hit of her own to push across a second run, OC had a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Aaliyah Ortiz (San Antonio, Texas) got the Javs on the board with her second homer of the year, a solo shot to make the score 2-1. One inning later, the Javelinas put together the rally that won the game.
Consecutive walks started the bottom of the fifth and after both runners moved up on a wild pitch, senior Loren Kelly (Rockport, Texas) slapped a single through the middle to tie the game. Junior Jory Cervantes (Pflugerville, Texas) then dropped an RBI double into center for TAMUK's first lead of the day and an infield hit courtesy of Onofrei two batters later brought in an insurance run to make the score 4-2.
Freshman Carissa De Los Santos (Kingsville, Texas) was tasked with holding that lead and she started her relief outing with a 1-2-3 sixth. The Eagles tried to put together a rally in the seventh, putting two one with one out, but De Los Santos retired the last two batters on a popup and a strikeout for her first save.
GAME TWO
Once again it was the Eagles who scored first, but this time, they wouldn't give up the lead. A single by Walde and double from Janzen plated three runs in the first inning, but the Javs got two of those back in their half of the first thanks to an RBI double from Cervantes and a run-scoring single off the bat of senior Kaylee Dietrich (Phoenix, Ariz.).
The Eagles restored their three-run edge by scoring twice in the second and they added four more in the third to take a 9-2 lead. The Javs put their third run on the board when senior Jennifer Giesey (Crystal Lake, Ill.) doubled in sophomore Sarah Montes (San Antonio, Texas) in the fourth.
The Javelinas added two more in the seventh, but the Eagles held off the Javelina rally to earn a Sunday split.
The Javelinas must now head to Portales, N.M. for a Friday doubleheader against Eastern New Mexico. Stay current with Javelina softball by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on both Twitter and Instagram, liking the Javelina Sports Facebook page, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
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