COMMERCE, Texas – Texas Southern softball closed out tourney play on a high note with a 4-2 win over host East Texas A&M on Sunday.
TSU wasted little time in setting the tone as KateLynn Cooper led the game off with a home run for an early 1-0 lead. The defense, paced by sophomore pitchers Zaria Turner and Kylie Wilson on the mound, cruised for the next three innings as the offense rewarded them for its efforts in the fourth.
Destiny Menchaca led the inning off with a walk while Karisma Garcia drew a one-out walk. Jade McQueen drove in Menchaca with an RBI double followed by Penelope Saenz's sac fly to score Garcia for a 3-0 lead. An ETAMU fielding error after DaNia Durr's at-bat scored McQueen for the 4-0 lead.
The Lions wouldn't go away without a fight with a run in the fourth. They had another runner on in the inning but Wilson recorded a strikeout to end the inning. Once again, the Lions tried to make things interesting in the seventh with a two-out triple which led to a run after a fielding error on the next at-bat. However, reliever Miranda Pena closed the door with a strikeout and save to end the game as TSU won its third contest this season.
Cooper, Menchaca and McQueen all had hits as Cooper, McQueen and Saenz had an RBI. The Tigers had four pitchers on the mound as Wilson, Asia Peart and Pena all had two strikeouts with Wilson earning the win and Pena the save.
TSU is back in action in Covington, Ga. next week for the annual HBCU Invitational against teams from the MEAC and CAA conferences. The tourney starts Friday and wraps up on Sunday morning.
