Jaguars claim thrilling 5-1 win over Langston

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Texas A&M–San Antonio softball team picked up their first-ever victory over a fellow NAIA opponent Saturday with a thrilling 5-1, nine-inning victory over Langston.

Played at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, the Jaguars (5-6) and Lions remained scoreless after the regulation seven innings. The teams exchanged runs in the eighth before the Jaguars added four in the ninth.

Freshman pitcher Ryanne Limon (San Antonio/Smithson Valley HS) tossed all nine innings for the Jaguars and became the first pitcher in school history to strike out 10 batters in a game. She allowed only three hits and a single unearned run.

Each half of the ninth inning started with the batting team getting runners on second and third base. Messiah San Miguel (Pleasanton, Texas/Laredo College) wasted no time getting the first runner home with an RBI groundball; Miguel stayed on the basepath because of an error.

A wild pitch allowed another runner to score before freshman Penelope Garcia (Bandera, Texas/Bandera HS) sent an RBI double to deep left-center field to score Madeline Arellano (Georgetown, Texas/Ranger College); it was Garcia's first hit of her collegiate career. She later scored on Britney Garcia's (Weslaco, Texas/Coastal Bend College) RBI single.

Meanwhile, Limon and her teammates behind her turned in a clutch performance in extra innings. Langston quickly loaded the bases and drew a bases-loaded walk with one out to tie the game at 1-1. Limon then induced Celia Bigger to lift a soft flyball into left field. San Miguel caught it and then made a perfect throw to Arellano at the plate to tag out Langston's Lyric Bell, thus preventing the Lions from scoring the winning run.

With a four-run lead in the ninth, Limon got two shallow flyouts and a groundout to end the game and leave Langston scoreless in the ninth.

The Jaguars concluded their trip to Langston's Red Dirt Classic with a 1-3 record, which included a narrow 4-3 loss to Morningside (Iowa), the No. 20 team in the NAIA according to the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.