LAREDO, Texas – Cameron split their doubleheader at Texas A&M International on Sunday, losing a pitching duel in game one and then powering to an 8-1 win in game two.
The Aggie softball team started their first Lone Star Conference road trip with a pair of losses against No. 9 Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday as they struggled to get the bats going. That continued into game one against the Dustdevils, but the CU lineup got going in game two to salvage the split.
Darrian Smith was near hitless against the Aggies in the twin-bill opener giving up just three hits and striking out 10 batters to earn her seventh win of the season.
Breley Webb was also solid in the circle for Cameron but a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth gave the Dustdevils the run-support they needed to earn the win. Webb gave up just the two runs and nine hits with four strikeouts of her own.
Karis Clark and
Maci McMurtrey each had doubles at the plate while
Kylie French provided the other hit for the Aggies in game one.
French was the catalyst for the CU offense in the second game of the doubleheader on Sunday. The fourth-year player drove in
Khmari Edwards on a single in the first and then had a solo homer in the third to give CU a 2-0 lead.
Cameron had back-to-back 3-run innings in the third and fourth as
Kaiden Boren provided the remaining two on a homer in the third. In the fourth, Edwards singled in a pair of runs and then French came up big again with a RBI single to put the Aggies up 7-0.
After a solo homer in the fifth gave TAMIU their first run of game two, Cameron answered with Edwards scoring on a fielder's choice off the bat of Webb to give the Aggies their eighth run.
Josie Swafford had the strikeout pitch working, punching-out 14 batters while giving up just the one run on five hits and a walk to earn her fifth win of the season. Her 14 K's are the most by a Cameron pitcher since April 3, 2003 (Crystal Smith, 14).
French provided three of CU's 12 hits while also driving in a trio of runs. Edwards had two hits, three runs scored, two stolen bases, and two RBI while Boren was 2-2 with a run scored, two RBI, and a pair of walks drawn.
Cameron is now 15-11 overall this season and 3-5 in conference play after the split. Cameron will begin an 8-game home stretch next weekend starting with a doubleheader against No. 25 St. Mary's on Friday, March 18, with game one scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at McMahon Field.
