The No. 2 Lions earn another conference sweep, taking pair over Texas Woman’s University.

COMMERCE – The second-ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team used an offensive outpouring in the first game and dominated from the pitching circle all day in a doubleheader sweep of Texas Woman’s University on Wednesday. 

The Lions won the first game in five innings by a 12-3 score, then earned a 2-0 win in the second game. 

A&M-Commerce is now 18-4 on the year with a 12-0 Lone Star Conference record. The Lions have won 14 straight games, which is the second-longest winning streak in program history. Texas Woman’s University falls to 4-13 overall and 3-9 in league play. 

Next week, the Lions host three doubleheaders, starting with a non-conference twinbill against nationally-ranked Southern Arkansas at 3:00 pm Wednesday. 

HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE DOUBLEHEADER

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game One)

– Three Lions hit home runs, and four players collected multiple hits in an offensive outburst.

– Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) went the distance, striking out nine and walking none in a complete-game two-hitter, allowing three runs.

– Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) was 2-for-3 with a grand slam, the 33rd in program history.

– Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic) was 2-for-3 with a three-run homer.

– Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) was 2-for-3 with a solo homer. Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Kinsie Hebler (Cy-Falls) scored twice. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One)

Otto was perfect through the first three innings, and the Lion offense took advantage of her excellent work in the second inning. LeBlanc started the scoring with a one-out solo homer and a Hebler walk, Slider double, and hit batter loaded the bases. Schaefer launched a missile to left-center for a grand slam and a 5-0 Lion lead with a full count and two outs. 

More clutch two-out hitting from the Lions extended the lead in the third when Boley and LeBlanc hit consecutive singles. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, Hebler stole second, and Slider’s hard-hit single made it a 7-0 game. 

TWU cut into the lead in the top of the fourth after a hit batter, single, and Taylor Goulet’s first homer of the season, making it a 7-3 contest. 

The bottom of the fourth was another offense showcase, all with no outs. Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) had a bunt single and a steal, Schaefer earned an infield single on a popup lost in the sun, and that duo executed a double steal to put a pair in scoring position. After Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central) walked to load the bases, Uxua Modrego (Burlada, Spain) hit a two-run single. Boley then hit a towering shot to centerfield, which bounced off the top of the fence for a three-run home run and a 12-3 Lion lead. 

Otto was taken to a full count twice in the fifth, but her perfect shutdown inning gave the Lions yet another run-rule win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game Two)

LeBlanc moved her record to 12-2 on the season with the complete-game shutout, which is her eighth of this year. She allowed four hits and struck out 11 with no walks.

– Ta’Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy) went 2-for-2 as the only Lion with multiple hits. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The scoring started in the second, when Dugi singled, stole second, and went to third on a passed ball. Modrego’s RBI groundout made it a 1-0 game. 

The lead extended when Hebler led off the second with a double, and pinch-runner Da’Jia Davis (Waco Midway) scored with the bases loaded on a fielding error, but that was all the damage the Lions could exact. The score was 2-0 to the hosts after two innings. 

While LeBlanc allowed only one Pioneer to reach scoring position in the whole game, the Lions missed on chances to extend the lead, stranding ten runners on base in the contest. 

The Pioneers could not capitalize on the narrow margin, managing only two bloop singles in the final three innings.

No. 2 Lions welcome Texas Woman’s to wrap up weekend

COMMERCE – The No. 2 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team wraps up a Lone Star Conference weekend set on Sunday with a pair of games against Texas Woman’s University. 

WHO: Texas Woman’s at A&M-Commerce

WHERE: Commerce | John Cain Family Softball Field

WHEN: 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 21

RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 16-4 overall and 10-0 in the Lone Star Conference. Texas Woman’s University is 4-11 overall and 3-7 in LSC play.

RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is second nationally in the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

LIVE VIDEO: LSC Digital Network

LIVE STATS: http://statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=tame 

The latest

A&M-Commerce is on a 12-game winning streak with doubleheader sweeps of then-No. 16 Rogers State, Eastern New Mexico, then-No. 17 West Texas A&M, Western New Mexico, UT Permian Basin, and Midwestern State. The 12-game win streak tied for the fifth-longest active streak in Division II..

1	North Georgia	16
2	West Chester (Pa.)	15
3	St. Cloud State	13
	Winona State	13
5	A&M-COMMERCE	12
	Sonoma State	12
7	UT Tyler	10
	Colorado Mesa	10
9	Lincoln Memorial	9
	Shepherd	9

The Lions are ranked second nationally, tying the highest-ever national ranking for the program. North Georgia is the No. 1 team, and neither team was voted lower than second in the nation, with UNG getting 12 first-place votes and A&M-Commerce getting four.

In conference play, the Lions rank second in the LSC in batting average at .377 with 95 hits in 10 games. Their patience at the plate has been rewarded as well, with league highs in walks with 56 and on-base percentage at .505. The Lions’ .995 fielding percentage with only one error in 10 games also tops in the league. In all games played this season, the Lions lead the league in fielding percentage (.985, ranking sixth nationally) and walks drawn (88, fifth nationally).

At the plate, leadoff hitter Madison Schaefer is fifth in the LSC in on-base percentage (.564), ninth in slugging (.774), and fourth in batting average (.452), and 11th in runs (20). Her 28 hits rank just above Uxua Modrego’s 24. Kinsie Hebler leads the league in walks at 19.

Alyssa LeBlanc has been a double threat, leading the nation in pitching wins with an 11-2 record, ranking fourth in the league in ERA at 1.31, second in the conference with 85 strikeouts, and ranking 13th at the plate in RBIs with 17.

On the opponent…
The Pioneers rank 12th in the conference in hitting during league play with a .246 average but are sixth in the league with a 3.03 ERA.

Paige Tamayo ranks 13th in the conference in all games in slugging percentage at .714 thanks to four homers. Taylor Goulet ranks 17th in the league with six doubles and Cecily Rodriguez is second in the league in hit by pitches with eight.

Tatum Quaker is 13th in the conference with a 2.63 ERA and 25th in opponents’ batting average at .285. Her 53 strikeouts ranks seventh in the league.

On the series history…
The Lions are 13-6 all-time against the Pioneers and have not lost to TWU since 2017. The Lions are on a 10-game winning streak against the team from Denton. The Lions are 9-3 all-time against TWU on the Cain Family Field.

The No. 2 Lions walk off with a sweep of Midwestern State.

COMMERCE – The second-ranked Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team ran its winning streak to 12 games Friday with a pair of victories over Midwestern State. 

The Lions took the first game by a 3-1 score, then earned an 8-0 win in five innings in the second game. 

The Lions are now 16-4 overall and 10-0 in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs fall to 11-11 overall and 4-6 in league play.

A&M-Commerce hosts Texas Woman’s University for a 1:00 pm doubleheader on Sunday.

HEAD COACH RICHIE BRUISTER AFTER THE GAMES 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game One)

– Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) moved her record to 5-2 on the season, allowing only three hits, striking out 10, and walking none.

– Kinsie Hebler (Cy-Fair) went 2-for-3 with a homerun.

– Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) also had two hits and a walk. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One)

The Lions opened the scoring in the second when Hebler battered a solo homer to left field. Schaefer singled with one out in the third, stole both second and third bases, then made it a 2-0 game on an RBI single from Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig – East Central). The Lions missed an opportunity to extend that lead, stranding the bases full. 

Midwestern State cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth after Jacey Henry hit a two-out RBI double to make it 2-1. 

Schaefer added the insurance run at the bottom of the sixth. Chealsea Slider (Texarkana – Texas High) hit a one-out single, then scored from second on Schaefer’s RBI single up the middle, making it 3-1. 

Otto earned three straight outs in the seventh to close out a fantastic win in the circle. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (Game Two)

– Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) picked up her nation-leading 11th win in the circle, allowing three singles and a walk while striking out six.

– Dugi, Avery Boley (Fort Worth – Nolan Catholic), Slider, and Samantha Dutton (Tulsa, Okla.) all went 2-for-3.

– Five Lions – Boley, Slider, Ta’Lyn Moody (Mansfield – Legacy), Serina Aguilar (Spring – Woods), and Dutton – hit doubles in the game. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two)

The Lions opened the second inning scoring after Hebler walked, and Slider doubled when Aguilar smoked a pinch-hit double to left-center to plate that duo. A dropped fly ball allowed a runner to score from third, Dugi out-ran an infield single, and Boley doubled to left to quickly push the lead to 5-0. 

LeBlanc continued her dominant run, allowing only singles, with only one runner reaching the game’s scoring position. 

The Lions took advantage of that and ended the game with a two-out rally in the fifth. Hebler got hit by a pitch, and Slider singled to put two runners on. Moody doubled down the right-field line to score one, and Dutton walked the game off with a slicing double laced up the middle to plate the winning runs.

Lion soccer matches at UT Tyler and vs. West Texas A&M postponed

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team has postponed upcoming matches due to concerns related to COVID-19. 

Saturday’s non-conference match at UT-Tyler and the home match against West Texas A&M scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, will not be played as scheduled. All parties will look to reschedule on available dates. 

Stay tuned to LionAthletics.com and our social media channels for updates on schedules throughout the season.