LIVE STATS | RADIO | GAME NOTES

LAREDO, Texas (February 19, 2018) – Texas A&M International University softball heads to Kingsville on Tuesday, Feb. 20, for a midweek doubleheader against Texas A&M-Kingsville at Vernie and Blanceh Hubert Field. The Dustdevils will look to end a six game losing streak to TAMUK as they dropped a pair to the Javelinas earlier in the season at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott TAMIU Spring Classic.
 
Links for live stats and radio can be found at GoDustdevils.com under the softball schedule page.
 
A LOOK AT THE DUSTDEVILS
The Dustdevils enter the week 3-13 on the season after going 1-3 last weekend at the WTAMU Invitational at Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas. They are 0-5 in true road games this season with all the losses coming against teams ranked in the Top-25 in the NFCA poll.
 
Cassie Cannon has gotten off to a strong start to her senior campaign hitting a team-high .375 with four doubles, one triple and one home run driving in four runs. The leadoff hitter ranks third in all of Division II with 23 hits. Maddison Schofield is one of the hottest hitters in the region after her 4-for-10 performance last weekend. Not only did she blast her first career home run but she drove in five runs bringing her total to a team-high 12. Freshman Melania Gamboa and Maya Paul continue to contribute as they are both hitting over .300 with three doubles a piece.
 
Sara Caterson seems to be finding her groove in the circle as the junior has won back-to-back starts for the first time in her career. She pitched her first complete game of the season in a 7-1 win over UC-Colorado Springs allowing a season-low one run on seven hits with three strikeouts. Delainy Thompson is coming off one of her best outings of the season going six innings allowing three runs against WT on Saturday. Melanie Lint is another impact freshman as her 21 strikeouts are a team-high.
 
A LOOK AT THE JAVELINAS
The Javelinas are 3-7 on the season having lost seven straight after starting the season 3-0. They suffered a three-game sweep in their Lone Star Conference opener last weekend at home against #2 Angelo State.
 
Roxy Chapa is off to a strong start in 2018 as she leads the team in hits, doubles, home runs and runs batted. The junior is hitting .371 with two doubles, two home runs driving in a team-high seven runs for 21 total bases. Her .600 slugging percentage is also a team-high. Ileana Aleman has made an immediate impact as the University of Arkansas transfer is hitting a team-high .381. Preseason All-American Victoria Schoonard-Saborio hasn't gotten off the start that she imagined as she is hitting .229 with one home run and 3 RBIs but the junior has the potential to change a game with one swing of the bat.
 
The Javelinas pitching staff led by Breanna Smith and Sarah Gilbert has a team ERA of 4.36 with opposing teams hitting .333. Smith is 2-3 through five starts and six appearances giving up 22 runs (16 earned) on 40 hits and 11 walks while striking out 16. Gilbert won her first start of the season giving up two runs on four hits against TAMIU but has struggled over her past five starts giving up 19 runs on 32 hits.
 
WTAMU INVITATIONAL REVISITED
The Dustdevils went 1-3 over the weekend against national powerhouse #13 West Texas A&M and UC-Colorado Springs. They fell in five innings in the first game to the Lady Buffs before starting off Saturday on the right foot with a 7-1 victory over the Mountain Lions. Maddison Schofield had a career day going 2-for-4 from the plate with four runs batted in.
 
TAMIU had WT on the ropes in Saturday's finale leading through five innings thanks to a two-run blast from Brandi Giles back in the second. The Lady Buffs scored two in the bottom of the fifth before adding the go ahead in the sixth to hand the Dustdevils a heartbreaking loss. They finished the invitational with a 12-4 loss to UCCS in five innings after leading 4-0 earlier in the game.
 
THE SERIES
The Dustdevils trail in the all-time series 16-26 with the Javelins having won the past six games… They faced off earlier in the season at the TownePlace Suites by Marriot TAMIU Spring Class with TAMUK winning both games… TAMIU is 7-13 against the Javelinas in Kingsville and are two for their last six… TAMUK won the first nine meetings between the two programs.
 
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
Cannon is hitting a team-high .429 against right-handers this season. Schofield and Lindsey Smith are the next closest at .357.
 
Cannon and Gamboa have been the most productive Dustdevils with runners in scoring position hitting .455 and .400 respectively.
 
UP NEXT
The Dustdevils open Heartland Conference at the friendly confines of Dustdevil Field with a doubleheader against Newman on Friday, Feb. 23. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.