LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International softball completed a perfect home weekend, using the long ball to defeat UT Permian Basin in doubleheader action to go 5-0 over the home stand.
 
Game 1: Texas A&M International 5, UT Permian Basin 2
 
TAMIU opened the first game with a quick start offensively to take a 3-0 after one inning.
 
Junior Heather Ruiz opened the scoring with an RBI double, followed by a two-run home run from fellow junior Briana Arredondo.
 
UT Permian Basin followed with a two run top of the second to cut the deficit to 3-2, scoring a two runs on an RBI single, while the second run scored after a throw to get the runner at second.
 
Ruiz gave the Dustdevils a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI single. The final TAMIU run came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Aredondo singled to the infield and a run scored on an error.
 
Junior Darrian Smith got the start in the circle and allowed two runs, five hits, two walks and struck out six in the complete game effort.
 
Offensively, TAMIU had nine hits in game one, with Ruiz, Arredondo and freshman Alex Hernandez all having two hits each to lead the way.

Game 2: Texas A&M International 8 UT Permian Basin 4
 
The Falcons took the early lead in game two with an RBI single in the top of the first to make it 1-0.
 
The Dustdevils then had a home run party in the bottom of the first, second and third to lead 5-1.
 
Ruiz blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to give TAMIU a 2-1 lead. Freshman Sara Papizan hit a solo home run in the second to make it 3-1, then Arredondo and sophomore Victoria Gonzalez went back-to-back in the third inning to make it 5-1.
 
UT Permian Basin chipped away at the lead, scoring two in the top of the fourth to make it 5-3 and then one in the top of the fifth to make it 5-4.
 
The Dustdevils added needed insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs to make it 8-4.
Papizan picked up her second RBI of the game with an RBI single, Hernandez drove in a run by drawing a walk and graduate student Victoria Maldonado drove in the final run on an RBI fielder's choice.
 
Paizan picked up the win in the circle, allowing four runs, six hits, alongside four strikeouts in her first complete game of the season.
 
TAMIU had eight hits in game two, with Gonzalez's 3-for-3 leading the way, followed by Papizan's 2-for-3.
 
The Dustdevils now get prepared for a nationally ranked road trip, as the meet #21 Texas A&M-Commerce and #1 UT Tyler. The trip begins in Commerce, Texas against TAMUC on Friday, Apr. 1 with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 5 p.m.