Single Runs In First Four Lift Softball to Win in First NCAA Regional Game

COMMERCE, Texas – Single runs in five of the first six innings lifted the St. Mary's Softball team past the host squad, 14th-ranked Texas A&M Commerce on Thursday evening, 5-1 in the first round of the NCAA Regional.
 
The Rattlers (37-17) scored their five runs on nine hits, while the Lions (42-14) tallied one run on six hits.
 
Junior Catalina Cavazos (Houston) was one off her career-high, striking out eight Lions in her 20th win of the year. She also only walked one in 120 pitches thrown.
 
Senior Abigale Carney (El Paso, Texas) moved into a tie for third place in StMU history with her two home runs, passing Taylor Vidrine, who hit 37 from 2012-15 and knotting Arlynda Flores, who smashed 38 from 2008-10. Fellow fifth-year senior Amber Gonzales (Austin) added her fourth home run of the year. Freshman Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) tied for team-high honors with two RBIs.
 
Senior Victoria Aldridge (Elgin, Texas) singled underneath the glove of a diving third baseman with one out in the top of the first. With two outs, Holder hit a long fly ball to the deepest part of the wall, doubling and scoring Aldridge for the 1-0 lead.
 
Carney hit the light pole in left field with her 11th home run of the season to give the Rattlers the 2-0 advantage in the second. 
 
Aldridge walked and moved to second on a fantastic bunt laid down the third-base line by senior Jayme Johns (Elgin). A single down the left field line by Holder plated Aldridge from second for the 3-0 advantage.
 
Gonzales hit a home run down the left field line in the top of the fourth for her fourth long ball of the year and her first since she hit one against these Lions back on April 10 for the 9-0 victory. 
 
Carney blasted her second home run of the day and her 12th of the year in the top of the sixth to stretch the advantage to 5-0. It is the fourth time this season Carney has left the park twice in a game. 
 
A Madison Schaefer home run in the bottom of the sixth made the score 5-1.
 
The Rattlers face Texas A&M Kingsville for the sixth-time this season in the winner's bracket Friday at noon. The Javelinas defeated Oklahoma Christian, 7-3 in the first game of the day.