LIVE STATS | VIDEO | GAME NOTES

LAREDO, Texas (February 22, 2018) – Texas A&M International University softball returns home after 13 straight road games when they open Heartland Conference play on Friday, Feb. 22, against Newman. Game one of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m. at Dustdevil Field.
 
Links for live stats and video can be found at GoDustdevils.com under the softball schedule page.
 
A LOOK AT THE DUSTDEVILS
The Dustdevils enter the weekend series 3-15 on the season having dropped four straight including a pair to Texas A&M-Kingsville at midweek. They are 1-4 at home with the lone win coming against MIAA powerhouse Central Oklahoma at the TownePlace Suites by Marriot TAMIU Spring Classic.
 
Cassie Cannon has been a key part of the Dustdevil lineup as the leadoff hitter ranks in the top-10 nationally in hits. She leads the team in batting average, hits, runs and doubles as the senior is hitting .406 with five doubles, one triple and one home run driving in four runs. Maddison Schofield leads the team in runs batted as the junior has driven in seven of her 13 runs in the past five games including a career-high four against UC-Colorado Springs. Lindsey Smith brings the power to the lineup with the junior transfer hitting a team-high three home runs so far this season.
 
Sara Caterson leads the team in wins as the junior has won two of her last three starts including a gem against UC-Colorado Springs where she gave up one run on seven hits in the complete the game victory. Delainy Thompson is coming off a strong performance on Tuesday were the Eastvale, California product went five innings striking out a career-high seven.
 
Melanie Gamboa, Maya Paul and Melanie Lint have made an immediate impact as freshmen for the Dustdevils. Gamboa and Paul are both hitting over .300 with the latter hitting .326 with three doubles and five RBIs. Lint has made 11 appearances including six starts in the circle for the Dustdevils where she has struck out a team-high 22 batters.
 
A LOOK AT THE JETS
The Jets are 2-9 overall on the season and 1-0 in true road games. They open conference play on a three-game losing streak as the team is hitting .243 with 12 doubles, two triples, one run for 37 runs.
 
Abby Davis is the top hitter for the Jets going 11-of-26 for an average of .423 with two doubles and two runs batted in. The Carlisle, Iowa product had a five-game hitting streak earlier in the season including a pair of 3-of-3 performances against Midwestern State and Northwestern Oklahoma State. Delaney Hiegert has been equally as impressive at the plate hitting .324 with a team-high 11 hits and one double, one triple while stealing three bases.
 
Nique Payne has made a team-high six starts in the circle for the Jets where the junior has a record of 1-4 with an ERA of 5.32. She had her best outing in a 4-1 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven. She also picked up the Jets only save of the season going two innings in an 8-5 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State last week. Bailey Bugner picked up her first career win in her only start of the season going five innings against NWOSU giving up four runs on six hits.
 
TUESDAY'S DOUBLEHEADER REVISITED
The Dustdevils dropped both games of the doubleheader to Texas A&M-Kingsville on Tuesday, Feb. 20, as the Javelinas they extended their win streak in the series to eight games. TAMIU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Cannon came around to score on a Maya Paul single down the third base line. A two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth gave the Javelinas a 2-1 lead but Paul tied it up in the top half of the next inning with a single to center. The winning run came across in the bottom half of the sixth as the Dustdevils dropped to 0-6 in one run games.
 
In the night cap, Schofield's first inning RBI gave the Dustdevils a 1-0 lead for the second straight game but the Javelinas responded with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. They stretched the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth as the Dustdevils left six runners on base in the loss.
 
THE SERIES
The Dustdevils lead the all-time series 26-6 having won the past three games including a win at last year's Heartland Conference tournament… TAMIU is 16-3 at home against the Jets including 2-1 in the conference opening series for both teams… The Dustdevils won 13 straight games in the series from Apr. 18, 2009 to Mar. 8, 2013… Their first ever matchup on Mar. 8, 2008 was a low scoring affair with TAMIU winning 1-0 followed by a 17-3 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
UP NEXT
The Dustdevils hit the road for a midweek Heartland doubleheader against the Eagles of Okahoma Christin on Thursday, Mar. 1, in Edmond, Okla. They will then travel to Claremore, Okla. on Saturday, Mar. 3, against Rogers State.