Texas A&M University-Commerce started its first-ever softball season by winning both games of a doubleheader against St. Edward's University, 3-0 and 9-4, on the newly finished John Cain Family Softball Field. Pitcher Aundria Romero had the season’s first shutout and December Rivers went 3-for-6 with a game-winning 3-run homer in the first game.
In the top of the sixth of the first game, SEU had back-to-back singles to start the inning, putting runners on second and third base with no outs. Romero threw the first out of the inning with a strikeout but then intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. SEU tried a bunt to push a run home, but third baseman Danielle Guerra tosses the bunt to catcher Rivers to the force out at the plate. With two outs and the bases still loaded, the SEU batter hit a foul ball that was going to land in the visiting dugout down the first base line, but first baseman Luci Ponce reached through the opening in the netting and fell into the dugout to make the third out closing the inning.
Ponce opened the bottom on the sixth with a double to center field. Romero succeeded with a walk, then subbed in pinch-runner Magen Lynch. Rivers then smacked a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence, tallying the first RBI and home run in Lion Softball history. Romero only allowed 4 hits but had 3 strikeouts including the first in A&M-Commerce softball history at the top of the fifth.
In game two, SEU pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly to center field in the first inning. In the bottom of the first the Lions answered with two runs thanks to a SEU error. Two more runs were earned in the bottom of the third but the Hilltoppers made it a one run game with an RBI to center field.
Thanks to a double by Romero, an RBI single up the middle by pinch hitter Johnna Strum, and Guerra with a sacrifice fly to bring Rivers home, gave the Lions a 7-3 lead. Two more runs in the sixth were brought in by Lynch with a RBI triple and scored on Guerra’s second RBI giving the lions a 9-3 lead. One more run in by SEU the final score was 9-4.
A&M–Commerce will host the first Lion Classic, a four-team tournament Feb. 6-7. The Lions will play their first game of the tournament Friday at 12:15 p.m. against Southern Nazarene with another game at 4:45 p.m. against Northeastern State.