By Jared Fields, Sports Writer
The Wildcat softball team was too much for the TAMU-Kingsville Javelinas this weekend. The Wildcat’s took three of four games and improved to 19-12 on the season, and 5-3 in conference play.
Head Coach Chantiel Wilson was pleased with the team’s weekend performance.
“Anytime we can take three of four games from anyone in our conference is a good thing,” Wilson said.
The Wildcats won both of the games Friday. In the first game, Jennifer Leal pitched a complete-game shutout, while allowing only four hits. The Wildcat offense scored two runs in the second inning to give the Wildcats the lead. Junior Heather Krumpols singled in a run in the fifth to add an extra run on the board for the Wildcats.
In the nightcap, Allison Crouse threw for the victory lead by a strong offensive outing. Senior Katie Bryan and junior Daisy Barcena each had solo homeruns in the fifth as the Wildcats won 6-4 over the Javelinas.
On Saturday, the Wildcats had another doubleheader. This time the teams split the two games. In the first Saturday game, the Wildcats were cruising with a 7-0 lead until the top of the seventh. The Javelinas put up six runs to trail by only a run. However, the game was ended on a throw out at home plate that kept the Javelinas’ runner from scoring. Kristin Alvarado had three RBI and Katie Bryan hit a two-run homerun to lead the Wildcat scoring attack.
The Wildcats were not as fortunate in the final game of the series. Offensively, the team couldn’t get anything to go their way, and lost 5-2. Katie Bryan hit a two-run homerun in the sixth, and the Wildcats had the bases loaded with one out later in the same inning, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.
Wilson said the last game is always the toughest to win.
“I think that when they scored those runs at the end of the third game, they got the momentum carried into the last game,” Wilson said.
The Wildcats travel to play Southeastern Oklahoma State for two games on Thursday. They then have a break before playing again April 1 against Eastern New Mexico.
