LAWTON – Powered by a Haley Castle homer and clutch pitching, the Aggies split a pair of one-run games against No. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday to wrap up the regular season schedule.
 
The Cameron softball team split a twin-bill against a top-10 ranked opponent on Saturday (No. 6 Oklahoma Christian) and looked to do the same when they host the ninth ranked Lions in their final games of the spring at McMahon Field.
 
In game one, the two squads got in a pitcher's duel feathering CU's freshman Jocelyn Bright and 2019 Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Year Emily Otto.
 
Cameron tried to strike early against Otto, getting both Brenna Busby and Khmari Edwards on to lead off the first. However, a failed double steal attempt and a pair of strikeouts by the junior hurler with the bases loaded allowed the Lions to escape the inning unharmed.
 
The A&M-Commerce bats put together their most productive inning in the second with back-to-back singles and a sacrificed fly. Bright was able to bounce back and stranded a pair on to end the frame.
 
Both pitchers settled in and put up zeros in the next few innings until CU tied the game in the fifth. Kaylyn Smith singled with one out in the frame and the came around to score on a RBI double in the gap by Edwards.
 
The Lions answered with a run in the top of the sixth with Avery Boley driving in a run on a RBI single. A run that would not have scored if not for an error by the Aggies earlier in the frame.
 
Cameron had another opportunity to score go by the wayside in the seventh as Smith and Busby reached second and third with two outs, but Otto retired the final out for her 11th win of the season.
 
Bright gave up just five hits and allowed the one earned run in the loss. She also struck out eight batter and allowed three free passes.
 
Edwards and Smith both had a pair of hits in game one, while Busby reached twice via a hit by pitch. Cameron stranded seven runners on base.
 
In game two, errors with the story early on as the Aggies scored two runs in the first on a Lion error and then Commerce scored unearned runs in both the second and third innings to tie the game at two.
 
A solo homer by Madison Schaefer to lead off the fifth broke the tie, giving the road team another one-run lead. The Aggies had an opportunity to tie the game in the bottom half when Busby was hit again to open the frame and then advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball. However, the Lion pitcher Alyssa LeBlanc got a pair of strikeouts and an easy groundout to get out of trouble and maintain the lead.
 
Bethany Hines, who did a great job of getting out of trouble all game long, escaped a jam of her own in the top of the sixth, but in the bottom of the frame it was the Aggies turn to get the clutch hit. After a two-out single by Breley Webb, Haley Castle launched her 10th home run of the season over the left field wall to give Cameron a 4-3 advantage.
 
Hines got into another sticky situation in the seventh with two on and no outs. The senior hurler got a pair of swinging strikeouts and then after waking the bases loaded, forced Chelsea Slider to fly out to Castle in right to end the game.
 
In her 10th win of the season, Hines gave up just the one earned run on six hits and four walks while striking out five batters and stranding nine runners on base.
 
Cameron tallied just three hits against LeBlanc but had the clutch hits by Castle and Webb while Busby reached base again via two hit by pitches.
 
The Aggies finish the regular season with a 25-17 overall record and a 16-14 mark against LSC opponents. They are all but officially locked in the eight spot in the league tournament which will begin on Thursday, May 13, in Oklahoma City.