Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Eliminates UTSA, Advance to Semifinals
No. 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6, No. 5 UTSA 5 (8 inn.)
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The No 1. Seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi edged the No. 5 seed UTSA 6-5 in eight innings to advance to its first semifinal round in the 2011 Southland Conference Softball Tournament in Huntsville, Texas.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, seniors Lauren Sanders and Caley Jeter opened with consecutive singles giving the Islanders two on with no outs. After junior Hannah Schwarz advanced the runners to second and third, Sanders scored the winning run on a wild pitch by sophomore Haylee Staton.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi struck first in the bottom of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. Junior Hannah Schwarz reached base on an infield single and later stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Lauren Dodson followed with a deep fly ball to left center field as Schwarz beat the throw home.
UTSA took the lead in the top of the fourth inning on a three-run bomb to right field by senior Kristin Kappler, her seventh of the year.
The lead was short lived as the Islanders scored four runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead. After a single by senior Kacie Smith, freshman Jamise Jackson and junior Stephanie Vead and hit consecutive RBI doubles tying the game at 3-3. After a third consecutive double from the Islanders by junior Cassie Redman, senior Caley Jeter drove in the go-ahead run and was followed by pinch hitter freshman Laura Phillips, who drove in the fourth run of the inning on a deep fly ball to center field.
In the top of the sixth inning after Kristin Kappler was hit by a pitch, junior Caitlyn Ivy and freshman Jori Fox each hit singles, junior Danye Holmes stepped in as a pinch hitter and crushed a bases loaded double to left center scoring two runs to tie the game at 5-5.
Junior Jordan Trujillo improved to 16-7 on the year after pitching two scoreless innings in relief and had four strikeouts, giving her a team-best 131 strikeouts on the year.
The win gives the Islanders a 40-18 mark on the year, its best record since the 2005 team went 42-11.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi advances to play the No. 4 seed McNeese State in game eight on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The winner will advance to play the No. 3 seed Texas State in the championship game at 2:05 p.m. Saturday which will be televised live on the Southland Conference Television Network. If a second championship game is necessary, it will be broadcast nationally on Fox College Sports Central.
Post Game Quotes
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Coach Jake Schumann
"This was just two teams that didn't want to end their season right there," said head coach Jake Schumann. "Pitching was good at times and hitters really rose to the occasion on both teams.
"We just happened to be the one to get the last run. A hard-fought game on both ends, I'm proud of our kids for fighting and staying mentally into it. We have to go get some rest and do it again tomorrow."
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Senior Lauren Sanders
"We just kept talking it up in the dugout," said Lauren Sanders. "We really kept the team up the whole time. "They started getting rattled and we got it. They were under pressure and they knew it."