TAMUC – Sports

SOFTBALL

Lions sweep doubleheader against Oklahoma Baptist behind stellar pitching from Dean

SHAWNEE, Okla.– The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team picked up two wins over Oklahoma Baptist University on Tuesday. The Lions won a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in game one and a 5-0 win in game two. Katie Dean pitched two complete games and gave up just one hit in each match.

The wins bring the Lions to 32-18 on the season. The Lady Bison fall to 21-28 on the year.

The Lions return home for their final games of the regular season over the weekend. They will host Texas Woman’s University in a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 5 p.m. The series will end with a single game on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Saturday’s game will be Senior Day. All games are at the John Cain Family Softball Field.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Katie Dean was virtually unhittable in game one. She struck out a season-high eight batters, which tied her career high. She gave up just one hit and held batters to a .045 average in a complete seven innings.
– Dean also started in game two and was equally dominant in the circle. She gave up just one hit and had two more strikeouts in the complete game shutout. In total, she pitched 14.0 innings and recorded 11 strikeouts and gave up just two hits. She held batters to a .047 average.
– Mariah Jameyson hit the game-winning home run in the top of the seventh inning in game one. She finished the day 4-for-7 with a double and a home run, scoring once and driving in one.
– Vanessa Avina was a force in game two. She had a double and a home run. She scored two runs and had a RBI.
– Cherie Jackson went 2-for-5 on the day and had a two-run home run in game two.
– Chealsea Slider had two hits and a RBI. Tyler Oppenheim, Kinsie Hebler, Precious Thompson and Jordyn Sharp each had a hit.
– Hebler also had a RBI. Sharp had a stolen base.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)
Both teams played stellar defense through the first two innings. Neither team recorded a hit. Dean recorded two strikeouts in the second inning to keep the game scoreless through two innings.

The Lions threatened in the top of the third. Sharp reached and stole second base to lead off, and Thompson followed that with an infield hit. However, the Lions could not get the runners around, and the game remained scoreless. Dean continued to get ahead of batters, striking out the side in the bottom of the third inning.

It was another quick inning, as both teams could not record a hit in the fourth inning. The first four innings took a combined 40 minutes.

Dean continued dominance in the circle throughout the next two innings. She struck out three more to then tie her career high. The Lions played stellar defense behind her. Jackson made some quick juggling stops, and Slider added a diving stop and quick turnaround to keep a hit off the board. Through six innings, neither team was on the scoreboard.

Jameyson led off the top of the seventh inning and with one swing, she put the Lions ahead. She got on top of the 1-1 pitch and just cleared the center field fence to give the Lions a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

One run was all the Lions needed as Dean closed out the game. She gave up a hit in the bottom of the seventh to break up a no-hitter, but she recorded the final out via strikeout, tying her career-high and giving the Lions the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)
The Lions got the scoring started early in game two. Avina hit a leadoff double. She scored on a single from Hebler. Jameyson hit a double to put another runner in scoring position, but the runners could not get around. Dean came in in the bottom of the first and picked up where she left off, blanking the Lady Bison in the first.

The Lions had a chance to score again in the second inning. After the first two batters had been called out, Oppenheim was hit by a pitch. Jackson hit a single that went to the wall and Oppenheim was waved around but was thrown out at the plate. The Lions led 1-0 after two.

A&M-Commerce added to its lead in the top of the third. Avina led off and hit a rocket over the left field fence. With one out, Hebler drew a walk and then Jameyson hit a single to put two runners on base. Slider then hit a single up the middle to score Hebler. The Lions led 3-0 after another quick inning behind Dean in the third.

The Lions got two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Oppenheim led off with a single. She was brought home on a home run off the bat of Jackson. The ball ricocheted off of the scoreboard to make the score 5-0 through three and a half innings. Dean continued to be unsolvable for the Lady Bison as she got through four innings without giving up a hit.

Dean closed out the game just as strong as she started. Although she gave up a hit to once again just miss out on a no-hitter, she allowed just two base runners in the final three innings and recorded a swinging strikeout to end the game.

GOLF – Men

Hagan Wood’s individual championship leads Lions to first Lone Star Conference Men’s Golf Championship in 19 years

FRISCO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team claimed its first Lone Star Conference Men’s Golf Championship title in 19 years at Frisco Lakes Golf Club on Tuesday, following the lead of individual champion Hagan Wood.

The Lions had a 54-hole score of 884 (288-297-299, +20) to win the tournament by ten strokes over Cameron, who had won the last three LSC titles. The Lions have won their fifth Lone Star Conference men’s golf championship, also taking the league trophy in 1942, 1964, 1965, and 1998.

Wood won medalist honors by three strokes at 215 (71-71-73, -1), leading four Lions in the top 10. He was consistent on Tuesday despite windy conditions, carding a birdie on hole No. 15 and notching two bogeys. By winning the tournament, Wood elevated to first team all-Lone Star Conference.

Wood is the fifth Lion to win LSC medalist honors, joining Rex McCamey (1965), Blair Buttar (1997), Shawn Reeves (1998), and Pinkey Hartline (2008). He is the fourth Lion to win medalist honors and also lead his team to the team championship in the same tournament.

Wilfredo Sanchez earned all-tournament honors in a tie for fourth place at 222 (+6). Sanchez had three birdies in Tuesday’s round.

Garrett Landers shot 223 (+7) to finish in a tie for sixth place and finished his final round on a roll with three birdies in his last eight holes.

Nick Louy tied for eighth place at 224 (+8), with a three-over par 75 in Tuesday’s round. Grayson Benavides rounded out the Lions’ contingent at 18-over par 234.

The Lions held a nine-stroke lead entering the final round over Cameron, but that lead had evaporated by the turn, as the Aggies had worked their way into a tie. The Lions bounced back and had a lead quickly, and Wood’s par at the final hole clinched the program’s fifth LSC title.

The Lions will now await the announcement of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship field revealed on Friday.

1	A&M-COMMERCE	288	297	299	884	+20
2	Cameron	299	295	300	894	+30
3	Midwestern State	296	300	299	895	+31
4	Western New Mexico	294	299	314	907	+43
5	West Texas A&M	303	304	305	912	+48
6	UT Permian Basin	318	322	310	950	+86

 

1	A&M-COMMERCE	288	297	299	884	+20
1	Hagan Wood	71	71	73	215	-1
T4	Wilfredo Sanchez	73	72	77	222	+6
T6	Garrett Landers	73	76	74	223	+7
T8	Nick Louy	71	78	75	224	+8
23	Grayson Benavides	77	79	78	234	+18

GOLF – Women

Anders claims runner-up honors to lead Lions to third place at Lone Star Conference Women’s Golf Championship

FRISCO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team shot its third-best 36-hole score in team history on the way to a third place finish at the 2017 Lone Star Conference Golf Championship at Frisco Lakes Golf Club.

The Lions shot 613 (306-307, +37) for a durable finish, with two players in the top 10. Tarleton State won the event at 595.

Anya Anders earned runner-up honors on the strength of the tournament’s lowest round. She shot a 4-under par 68 in Tuesday’s round to finish the event at 145 (+1). She carded seven birdies in Tuesday’s round, which gives her the most birdies in a single season at A&M-Commerce. For her performance, Anya’s name went on the all-tournament team.

Emily Taylor put the wraps on her final LSC Championship in a tie for 10th place with a 10-over par 154 for the event. She shot 77 in both rounds and birdied the sixth hole Tuesday.

Celeste Emeott tied for 12th place at 155 (+11), one stroke behind Taylor. Emeott was in the premier final pairing of the day after a 75 on Monday and birdied the 18th hole to finish at 80 Tuesday.

Makena Thomas and Emily White tied for 28th at 19-over par 163 to round out the Lion contingent.

The 613 is the third-best 36-hole tournament score in program history. The top three 36-hole tournament scores for the Lions have come in the 2016-17 season.

The field announcement for the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf is on May 1.

1	Tarleton State	299	296	595	+19
2	West Texas A&M	300	306	606	+30
3	A&M-COMMERCE	306	307	613	+37
4	Cameron	309	315	624	+48
5	Midwestern State	307	320	627	+51
6	Angelo State	312	320	632	+56
7	Western New Mexico	313	326	639	+63
8	Texas A&M-Kingsville	321	346	667	+91
9	UT Permian Basin	346	361	707	+131

 

3	A&M-COMMERCE	306	307	613	+37
2	Anya Anders	77	68	145	+1
T10	Emily Taylor	77	77	154	+10
T12	Celeste Emeott	75	80	155	+11
T28	Makena Thomas	81	82	163	+19
	Emily White	77	86	163	+19