WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Texas A&M International softball concluded its road trip on Saturday with a split against Midwestern State, falling in game one, 10-7, before defeating the Mustangs, 7-5 in game two.
 
Game 1: Midwestern State 10 Texas A&M International 7
 
Midwestern State jumped ahead immediately, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
 
TAMIU responded right away in the top of the second, tying the game 2-2 thank to a Mustang error and an RBI double by graduate student Victoria Maldonado.
 
The tie was short lived as a two-run home run in the bottom of the second gave Midwestern State another two-run lead at 4-2.
 
The Dustdevils chipped away in the top of the fourth with a solo home run by freshman Alex Hernandez, making the score 4-3.
 
However, the Mustangs plated five in the bottom of the fifth to grow the lead to 9-3.
 
The Dustdevils kept fighting, making it 9-5 in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Hernandez and an RBI double by junior Heather Ruiz.
 
Midwestern State got an RBI double in the sixth inning to lead 10-5, but TAMIU fought to the end, with Hernandez notching a two RBI single in the top of the seventh to make it the final of 10-7.
 
Junior Darrian Smith got the start for the Dustdevils and allowed nine runs, ten hits, five walks and two strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
 
Sophomore Victoria Gonzalez pitched the remaining 1.2 innings, allowing one run and three hits.
 
Offensively, TAMIU collected 11 hits, with freshman Alex Hernandez leading the charge, going 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot. Ruiz and graduate student Melanie Gamboa both added a 2-for-4 at the plate.

Game 2: Texas A&M International 7 Midwestern State 5

In game two, the Mustangs again jumped ahead, plating a single run in the bottom of the first.
 
The Dustdevils scored the next five runs, bringing three across in the top of the second and two in the top of the third.
In the second, freshman Kristin Maldonado tied the game with an RBI double, then was followed by Gamboa with a two RBI double of her own to make it a 3-1 lead.
 
TAMIU received back-to-back solo homers in the top of the third as Ruiz and junior Briana Arredondo made the score 5-1.
 
Midwestern State cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the third, but Arredondo made it 7-2 with a two RBI single in the top of the fourth.
 
The final three runs were in favor of the Mustangs, plating two in the bottom of the fourth and one in the bottom of the fifth for the 7-5 final.
 
Freshman Carla Arellano worked a complete game in the win, allowing five runs, eight hits, four walks and struck out two.
 
TAMIU scattered nine hits offensively, with Victoria Maldonado and Arredondo both leading the way at 2-for-4.
 
The Dustdevils still have a chance to find its way into the LSC Tournament, but need some help and will need to potentially sweep its final opponent or split, as they face nationally ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville on Senior Day, Apr. 30 at 1 p.m.