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Box Score 2
By Dan Lathey
LAREDO (March 10, 2013) - Texas A&M International split a non-conference doubleheader with 12th ranked Texas Woman’s on Sunday afternoon at Dustdevil Field. The Dustdevils shutout the Pioneers 4-0 in the opener and TWU took the second game 4-1.
TAMIU out-hit TWU 8-2 in the opener with starter Mariena Gallardo handing the Pioneers their second shutout loss of the season. Gallardo (3-1) went the distance, facing only seven batters over the minimum (28) and not allowing a runner past second base in 7.0 innings in the circle.
The Dustdevils scored all four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in the win. The first three batters (Esme Gonzalez, Kristen LaBuhn and Rochelle Nash) reached base to set up a bases loaded, no out situation for the home team. After a fly out by Mariena Gallardo, Marisa Castillo and Cassie Garcia delivered with back-to-back RBI groundball singles up the middle to provide the Dustdevils a 2-0 lead.
One out later, Chelsea Capello hit a 2-RBI single to right center field, driving in Castillo and Garcia and pushing TAMIU to a 4-0 lead.
Gallardo allowed only one base runner after TAMIU took the big lead and that was on a dropped pop up by Castillo at second base in the sixth inning. She retired the Pioneers on three straight groundball outs to shortstop LaBuhn in the seventh inning.
TAMIU (13-18) couldn’t quite get on track offensively against TWU (22-6) starter Larisa Garcia in the second game. The Dustdevils didn’t collect their first hit against Garcia until the bottom of the fourth inning, by which time the Pioneers held a 3-0 lead. A leadoff single by Gallardo followed by an infield error on a groundball by Castillo set up a promising situation in that that frame but the threat ended after Garcia hit into a line drive double play and Cassie Deleon popped out to shortstop.
Gonzalez contributed a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut TWU’s lead to 4-1 but the game ended on a strikeout by LaBuhn.
Kyndall Reaves (5-6) took the loss for the Dustdevils. She allowed four earned runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 5.0 innings of work.
