A&M-Victoria softball fights back for DH split with No. 21 A&M-Texarkana

The Texas A&M University-Victoria softball team showed its resilience on Thursday against a ranked opponent.

The Jaguars split their home doubleheader with No. 21-ranked Texas A&M Texarkana on Thursday at the Youth Sports Complex, bouncing back with a 5-2 win in the nightcap after dropping the opener 5-3 in extra innings.

A&M-Victoria (21-11, 12-5) showed resilience across both games, totaling 18 hits on the day and getting complete-game pitching in Game 2 to earn the split against one of the top teams in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Game 2: A&M-Victoria 5, Texas A&M Texarkana 2

A&M-Victoria responded in a big way in Game 2, building an early lead and riding a strong pitching performance from Madelyn Butler to even the doubleheader.

The Jaguars scored twice in the first inning, taking advantage of defensive miscues. Khamryn Werdlow reached on a single and later scored, while Alyssa Carter crossed the plate on a throwing error as A&M-Victoria jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

Texas A&M Texarkana trimmed the deficit in the third, but the Jaguars answered immediately. Kitty Coe delivered an RBI single to center field to restore a two-run advantage in the bottom half.

A&M-Victoria added insurance in the fifth when Cristela Trevino reached on an error to drive in a run and Deeandra Maldonado followed with a sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 5-1. The Eagles plated a run in the seventh on a triple, but Butler shut the door to secure the victory.

Butler went the distance, allowing just two runs while scattering eight hits and working out of multiple jams. At the plate, Werdlow went 2-for-4 with a run scored, Carter reached base twice and scored three runs, and Morales added a pair of hits. Coe and Maldonado each drove in a run as the Jaguars capitalized on timely at-bats.

Game 1: Texas A&M Texarkana 5, A&M-Victoria 3

A&M-Victoria collected 10 hits in the opener but saw its comeback effort fall short in a tightly contested game.

The Jaguars struck first in the second inning when Khamryn Werdlow delivered an RBI single to give A&M-Victoria an early 1-0 lead. Texas A&M Texarkana responded with runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, including a solo home run in the fifth, to build a 3-1 advantage.

A&M-Victoria answered in the bottom of the fifth. Cristela Trevino laced a double to left field, driving in two runs to tie the game at 3-3 and swing momentum back to the Jaguars.

The Eagles regained control late, scoring two runs in the eighth inning with the help of a fielding error and a sacrifice bunt to pull ahead 5-3. A&M-Victoria put runners on base in the final inning but was unable to bring the tying run home.

Werdlow led the Jaguars offensively, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Trevino finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Madison Carr added three hits. Zoe Hardy worked eight innings in the circle, allowing five runs while striking out four.

Next up

The two teams meet in a rubber match on Friday with first pitch slated for 12 p.m.