A&M-Victoria softball uses late rally for DH split at Louisiana Christian

PINEVILLE, La. — The Texas A&M University-Victoria softball team rebounded from an early setback to split its Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader with Louisiana Christian on Friday at Wildcat Park.

The Jaguars stormed back with a late-game rally to earn a 5-1 victory in Game 2 after dropping the opener, 6-1.

The split left A&M-Victoria at 23-15 overall and 14-9 in RRAC play.

Game 2 — A&M-Victoria 5, Louisiana Christian 1

A&M-Victoria used late-inning execution and a dominant pitching performance to pull away in the second game, scoring four runs in the seventh inning to turn a one-run lead into a comfortable victory.

Louisiana Christian broke a scoreless tie in the second inning when Madelyn Bourgoyne doubled to right field to drive in Hannah Harrison. That run stood until the sixth, when the Jaguars tied the game on an RBI fielder's choice by Alysa Perez that allowed Kelsey Perez to score.

The Jaguars then seized control in the seventh. After Keily Rosario scored on a Madison Carr single to give A&M-Victoria its first lead, Deeandra Maldonado delivered the decisive blow with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Carr and Alyssa Carter. Fayth Hoover followed with an RBI walk to cap the scoring.

Carr finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Maldonado went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Carter and Sianna Miller each recorded multiple hits as part of a 12-hit attack.

In the circle, Madelyn Butler was steady all afternoon, allowing one run on five hits over seven innings. She walked two and struck out one to earn the complete-game win.

Game 1 — Louisiana Christian 6, A&M-Victoria 1

Louisiana Christian took advantage of early defensive miscues and timely hitting to claim the opener, scoring five of its six runs across the second and fourth innings.

The Wildcats struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on a fielding error and a pair of sacrifice plays before Naya Soto singled home a run to make it 2-0. Louisiana Christian widened the margin in the fourth with a three-run frame that included an RBI double from Soto and an aggressive double steal that saw Soto swipe home.

Mariel Medrano added an RBI double later in the inning, helping Louisiana Christian build a 5-0 advantage.

A&M-Victoria got on the board in the sixth when Sianna Miller scored on a throwing error following a fielder's choice, but the rally was short-lived. Louisiana Christian answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half to restore its five-run cushion.

The Jaguars managed just four hits in the opener, with Kitty Coe going 2-for-3 at the plate. Zoe Hardy took the loss after allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings, while Olivia Falcon went the distance for the Wildcats, surrendering one unearned run to earn the win.

Next up

The Jaguars and Wildcats wrap up the three-game series at 12 p.m. on Saturday.