Jaguars split doubleheader at first-place UH-Victoria

VICTORIA, Texas – Texas A&M University–San Antonio's softball team continues to make emphatic statements in year two of its varsity program as the Jaguars split a doubleheader at defending Red River Athletic Conference tournament champion Houston–Victoria on Tuesday.

The Jaguars (8-14, 4-2 RRAC) used a four-run sixth inning in game two to take a 5-2 victory and earn the doubleheader split, claiming their first triumph over UHV in five attempts.

The win over UH–Victoria was also the Jaguars' second victory in four games over teams who had received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, as they defeated Our Lady of the Lake on Saturday. UHV received 35 votes in the most recent NAIA poll.

The Jaguars earned the split after UHV (12-5, 5-1 RRAC) won the opening game 7-1.

The TAMUSA softball team returns to action Friday when they host Xavier (La.) in a doubleheader, the first of four games for the Jaguars this weekend at the Tejeda Complex. First pitch in Friday's game one is scheduled for 4 p.m.

GAME TWO: Jaguars 5, UHV 2

Sidney Garza (San Antonio, Texas / Ranger College) and Vanessa Garces (Edinburg, Texas / Coastal Bend College) both hit RBI triples in the sixth inning as the visiting Jaguars scored four runs in the frame to overtake their hosts.

Trailing 2-1 with one out and one runner on base, Garza hit a triple down the left-field line that scored Britney Garcia (Weslaco, Texas / Coastal Bend College) from first and tied the game. The Jaguars added a baserunner when Riana Tovar (Helotes, Texas / Lamar State) reached base on a fielder's choice grounder in which UHV failed to record an out.

Garza was retired from the basepaths when she was tagged out at home plate on Marisol Vargas' (San Antonio, Texas / East Central) groundball. With two runners on, Garces knocked her two-RBI triple to deep right-centerfield to score Tovar and Vargas and give the Jaguars a 4-2 lead.

Garces would come home one batter later when Peyton Vasquez (Porter, Texas / Cisco College) knocked an RBI single.

With a lead in hand, pitcher Ebbie Rodriguez (Helotes, Texas / Angelina College) shut down the UHV bats as she retired the home team in order in each of the last two innings. In a three-inning relief appearance, Rodriguez put away nine of the 10 batters she faced to improve her season record to 2-3. Three of the final four outs that Rodriguez induced went to the steady glove of shortstop Vargas.

The come-from-behind win also meant that starting pitcher Jaclynn Lizama (Temple, Texas / Holy Trinity Catholic HS) was rewarded by not taking the loss after a fairly strong performance of her own. The sophomore pitcher tossed four innings and scattered four hits, while only giving up two runs in the third.

Vasquez and Julia Pinzon (San Antonio, Texas / Madison) each went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the game. Pinzon gave the Jaguars an early 1-0 lead with an RBI double that sent Vasquez home in the top of the third inning.

GAME ONE: UHV 7, Jaguars 1

Game two proved to be a big lift for the visiting Jaguars after UHV took game one by a score of 7-1. The home team scored three runs in the first and three runs in the second to take control of the contest.

Gabby Mitchell (San Antonio, Texas / Texas A&M International) drove in the lone TAMUSA run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning that scored Pinzon. Pinzon went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Jaguars in game one.