TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | GAME NOTES

LAREDO, Texas (February 8, 2018) – Texas A&M International University softball hits the road for the first time of the 2018 season with a trip to San Angelo, Texas for the George & Ola McCorckle Challenge hosted by Angelo State. The Dustdevils will face off against the Rambelles, Adams State and Florida Tech over the three-day tournament.
 
Links for live stats and video can be found at GoDustdevils.com under the softball schedule page.
 
A LOOK AT THE DUSTDEVILS
The Dustdevils opened the season at home for the first time in program history last week going 1-4 at the TownePlace Suites by Marriot TAMIU Spring Classic. Head coach Scott Libby enters the weekend with an overall record of 211-293 during his nine-year tenure In Laredo.
 
Cassie Cannon is off to a strong start this season hitting .333 with multiple hits on two different occasions. She has also swiped two bases giving her 13 for her career leaving her one short of entering the career top-10. Lindsey Smith has made an immediate impact as the junior transfer hit a pair of home runs over the weekend for a team-high five RBIs. The left fielder brings power to a Dustdevil program that only hit four home runs a year ago.
 
Maddison Schofield rounds out the three-headed monster that is the Dustdevil outfield hitting .286 driving in one run. Robi Kami has been great behind the plate while hitting .273 including a two-hit performance against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the season opener. Brandi Giles has now hit a home run in each of her four years in Laredo after hitting her first long ball of the year against the Javelinas.
 
Delainy Thompson (1-1, 3.50 ERA) highlights a Dustdevil pitching staff that has more depth than in previous years. Thompson picked up her first win of the season in a 10-2 victory over UCO as the senior allowed a season-low two runs on four hits striking out three in five innings. Melanie Lint (0-1, 3.41 ERA) and Tori Carrion (0-1, 2.00 ERA) have both made starts this season with Lint making her collegiate debut against TAMUK.
 
A LOOK AT THE RAMBELLES
Angelo State opened the season at the Colorado Mesa Invite going 4-1 and have won three straight after dropping a 3-1 decision to nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa. ASU outscored their opponents 41-5 in their four wins including a pair of five inning wins over Adams State.
 
Madison Greenwell is off to a great start as the senior is hitting .563 going 9-of-16 from the plate with one double and one triple driving in three runs. The senior fell a home run short of the cycle in the Rambelles' 17-2 season opening victory over the Grizzlies. Karina Rocha has brought the power to the ASU lineup with two of her three hits being home runs. She has also scored a run in four of the five games this season.
 
All-American Brandy Marlett returns for her senior campaign after going 29-5 in 2017 where she was named the top pitcher in the south central region. The Henderson, Nevada product has made two starts and three appearances going 2-0 for a 1.91 ERA striking out 14 batters. Morgan Hill has been equally impressive with a pair of wins over New Mexico Highlands and ASC striking out a combined 15 batters.
 
A LOOK AT THE GRIZZLIES
Adams State opened their season in Albuquerque, N.M. at the Colorado Mesa Invite going 1-4 with the lone victory coming against Western New Mexico. ASC were outscored 2-43 in the first three games of the tournament before exploding for 14 runs in their 14-7 win over the Mustangs.
 
Pitchers will need to be weary of Stephanie Huff as the freshman hit .400 driving in three runs in her first collegiate tournament. She also took care of business on defense as well recording a team-high 13 putouts for a perfect fielding percentage. Junior outfielder Tyler Hays had herself an impressive opening weekend hitting .273 with two home runs and four RBIs.
 
The Grizzlies enter the second weekend of the season with a team ERA of 14.56 as Brittany Phillips is the only ASC player with an ERA lower than 10.0. Whitney Fields (1-2, 20.09 ERA) got the starting nod in three games with Kacee Schroeder (0-1, 11.05 ERA) and Madison Vrabel (0-1, 21.00 ERA) also making a start each.
 
A LOOK AT THE PANTHERS
Florida Tech are 1-1 after their final two games of the Southern Softball Showdown were cancelled. They opened the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Valdosta State before falling to Columbus State 7-1 in the nightcap.
 
The Panthers' are hitting .224 from the plate with one double, one triple while walking seven times. Shanysse Emerenciana has a team-high two RBIs as the junior drove in both runs against VSU on the Panthers' only triple of the season. Victoria Szrom has reached base in two of her four at-bats including a 2-for-3 performance against CSU.
 
Melanie Murphy (1-0, 1.00 ERA) went the full seven innings in the Panthers' season opening win giving up one run on four hits striking out four. Amanda Kehn (0-1, 15.00 ERA) gave up five runs in 2.1 innings before being replaced McKenzie Krutsinger (0-0, 1.91 ERA) for the final 3.2 innings of the game.
 
TOWNEPLACE SUITES TAIMU SPRING CLASSIC REVISITED
The Dustdevils finished the weekend 1-4 defeating Central Oklahoma for the first time in program history putting an end to a 10-game losing streak. Brandi Giles and Lindsey Smith were selected to the all-tournament team as the duo combined to hit all three of TAMIU's home runs.
 
UP NEXT
The Dustdevils head to the Texas Panhandle for the WT Invitational II hosted by West Texas A&M on Feb. 16-18 at Schaeffer Park.  Live stats and video will be provided by the WT Athletic Media Relations staff.