April 15, 2012
Final Stats
CANYON, Texas - A day after clinching their second straight berth in the Heartland Conference Tournament, the Texas A&M International University softball team struggled to find any offense against No. 25 West Texas A&M, as the Dustdevils dropped a pair of games to the Lady Buffs 12-3 and 4-1.
GAME ONE: TAMIU 3, West Texas 12
The Dustdevils managed only four hits in the opening game, two of which came in the top of the first. Rochelle Nash hit a two-out single to the shortstop before Regina Morales blasted a two run homerun to give TAMIU the early lead.
The Lady Buffs countered with four runs in the bottom half and added three more in the second to take a 7-2 lead. The Dustsdevils trimmed the deficit in a third thanks to a solo homerun by Alexis Gonzalez, but the Lady Buffs put up three more in the third and two in the fourth to take a commanding 12-3 lead.
The Dustdevils failed to cut the lead to under eight runs before the end of the fifth, losing via the mercy rule.
Kyndall Reaves took the loss for TAMIU, falling to 5-12 on the season. The sophomore went 3.0 innings allowing 10 runs on 10 hits with two walks and a strikeout.
GAME TWO: TAMIU 1, West Texas 4
In the late game, the Dustdevils were once again limited to only four hits and didn't get on the board until the top of the seventh.
The Lady Buffs took a 2-0 lead in the second scoring on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and using a double steal for their second run of the inning.
They added their final two runs in the sixth after an error by right fielder Desiree Ortiz allowed the leadoff hitter Kimberly LeComte to advance to third. She was eventually plated on a bunt single by Lacey Seidl. Two batters later Mercedes Garcia scored Whitney Midkiff from third on a sac-fly for the Lady Buffs final run of the game.
Morales picked up her second homerun of the day in the seventh, but it was all the offense TAMIU could muster falling 4-1.
Mariena Gallardo fell to 3-9 on the season with loss, allowing four runs on five hits with six walks and a strikeout through 5.2 innings.
The Dustdevils overall record slips to 14-33, but TAMIU remains two games ahead of UT-Permian Basin for the third seed heading into the postseason. The Dustdevils will host the Falcons in their final series of the year Friday, April 20 with the first pitch set for 12 p.m. If the Dustdevils can manage just one win over the visiting Falcons, TAMIU will clinch the third seed heading into the conference tournament.
