The No. 20 Lions fall twice to the No. 1 Patriots and earn the No. 4 seed in LSC Tournament.

TYLER – The No. 20 Texas A&M University-Commerce softball team ended the regular season with losses to No. 1 ranked UT-Tyler at Suddenlink Field by 6-2 and 4-1 on Saturday, which included a four-hour weather delay during game two. 

The Lions finish the regular season with 39-13 and a Lone Star Conference record of 22-8. Picked fifth in the preseason poll, the Lions finished tied for fourth place in the standings with Angelo State and Oklahoma Christian. However, the Lions edged out the Rambelles and the Eagles via a tiebreaker to earn the No. 4 seed in next week’s conference tournament. 

The Patriots are 40-4 and win the regular season LSC Championship with a 26-4 and will host the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed. 

The Lions begin the single-elimination conference tournament against No. 5 seed Angelo State on Friday at 1:30 pm in Tyler. The winner will advance to the LSC semifinals on Friday at 6:30 pm, and the conference tournament championship game takes place on Saturday, May 7, at 2:00 pm. 

GAME 1: No. 1 UT Tyler 6, No. 20 A&M-Commerce 2

Madison Schaefer (Frisco – Independence) led off the game with a solo home run to left-center. It was her sixth home run in the last 13 games. 

MADISON SCHAEFER FIRST HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT 

The Patriots scored four in the bottom of the third. That forced the Lions to make a change in the circle. After recording the first out of the inning, two walks and a base hit loaded the bases. However, Courtney Plocheck cleared the bases with a double to left-center and scored on the double to the right by Ashley Perez. 

Emily Otto (Lamar Consolidated) started the game for the Lions but was replaced in the third by Alyssa LeBlanc (Katy) after allowing the double to Perez. 

Schaefer continued to rake at the plate, hitting her second home run in the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Tatum Goff singled in Plocheck to push the lead back up to four. 

MADISON SCHAEFER SECOND HOME RUN HIGHLIGHT 

Otto took the loss in the game, allowing four earned runs in 2.1 innings, while LeBlanc allowed an earned run in 3.2 innings. The Lions left nine runners on base in game one. Schaefer and Leo Terry (Emory – Rains) went 2-for-3 each in the game to total four of the six hits for the Lions. 

Goff started the game for the Patriots, but they pulled her after 1.2 innings. She allowed a run, two hits, and three walks in her brief outing. Sarah Gartman pitched 5.1 innings in relief to move to 9-0. She allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four and allowed a home run to Schaefer. 

GAME 2: No. 1 UT Tyler 4, No. 20 A&M-Commerce 1

After clinching hosting rights for the LSC Tournament for the first time in program history by taking game one, the Patriots pounced early in game two. In the first, Perez hit a two-run home run, and Bayli Simon hit an RBI double to left-center that scored Audrey Escamilla. 

LeBlanc allowed all three runs in the first inning and got the loss, recording just one out. Otto pitched 4.2 innings in relief. She allowed two hits and one earned run. Julia Sanchez (Houston.- Kinkaid) pitched the sixth inning, recording the only strikeout for the Lions in the game. 

A lengthy rain and lightning delay of just under four hours ensued after completing the third inning. The duration between the last out of the third and first pitch of the four was 3 hours and 54 minutes. 

The fourth run for the Patriots came in the third inning off the bat of Mak Dominguez, driving in Grace Davis. The lone run in the game for the Lions, who left five on base in the second game, came in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Kuea Angilau (Salt Lake City, Utah), that scored Sabrina Anguiano (Riverside, Calif.), who had two hits in the game. 

Jacey Henry pitched the complete game for the Patriots, allowing six hits and struck out nine.

 

Amon Simon and Kader Kohou sign NFL contracts.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce football team alums Kader Kohou and Amon Simon have signed contracts with National Football League teams to further their careers. Kohou has signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins, and Simon has signed with the Dallas Cowboys. 

“I am really excited for these two men,” said coach David Bailiff. “It is every young football player’s dream to play in the NFL. They are going to get that opportunity.”

Kohou (Euless – Trinity) totaled 113 tackles, 37 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 453 return yards in his four-year career that included being a member of the 2017 National Championship team. He was named the Lone Star Conference’s Defensive Back of the Year in 2021. 

Simon (Humble – Atascocita) played in 37 games over his career, earned all-conference honors on three teams, was honored as an All-American twice, and was named LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2019. He was also part of the 2017 National Championship team.

“Kader and Amon are incredible people and hard workers. Both will have great opportunities to make the team,” added Bailiff.