Lizama's eight shutout innings lead Jaguars to doubleheader sweep of Louisiana Christian

SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M–San Antonio's softball team continued their winning ways of late by sweeping a Saturday doubleheader from Louisiana Christian.

The Jaguars (11-15, 7-3 RRAC) won game one by a score of 4-1 before taking the second game 6-2. With the wins, the Jaguars claimed their fourth victory in five games.

Sophomore pitcher Jaclynn Lizama (Temple, Texas / Holy Trinity Catholic HS) was A&M–San Antonio's star in the pitching circle Saturday. She appeared in both games and tossed eight shutout innings, allowing only six hits and walking none. Lizama (pictured) earned a three-inning save in game one and then started game two and tossed five more innings.

Peyton Vasquez (Porter, Texas / Cisco College) ran her hitting streak to 11 consecutive games. After picking up two hits in game one, she added another single in her third at-bat in the fourth inning of game two.

Louisiana Christian (16-11, 5-3 RRAC) lost its second and third consecutive games. The Wildcats began the weekend in first place in the Red River Athletic Conference's East Division. LCU is in its first year of competition in the NAIA and the RRAC after 20 seasons in the NCAA's Division III.

The Jaguars return to action Wednesday when they host a non-conference doubleheader against Schreiner at Harlandale ISD's Tejeda Softball Complex. The team's doubleheader at Howard Payne scheduled for Monday, March 21, has been postponed due to impending rain in Central Texas.

Wednesday's first pitch against the Mountaineers is scheduled for 1 p.m.

GAME ONE: Jaguars 4, LCU 1

The Jaguars jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back as Ebbie Rodriguez (Helotes, Texas / Angelina College) and Lizama held the Wildcats to six total hits.

With two outs and two on base in the bottom of the first, Sidney Garza (San Antonio, Texas / Ranger College) singled down the left field line that sent Vasquez home from third base. Later in the inning, Felicity Alamillo (San Antonio, Texas / Coastal Bend) knocked a bases-loaded single that scored Jordan Ramos (San Benito, Texas / San Benito HS).

Holding a 2-1 lead in the second inning, Julia Pinzon (San Antonio, Texas / Madison HS) pushed A&M–San Antonio's lead back to two runs with an RBI single that scored Gabby Mitchell (San Antonio, Texas / Texas A&M International) from second base.

In the circle, Rodriguez pitched four innings and struck out four batters while allowing only one run in the second inning. The win was her third of the week and improved her season record to 4-3. Last season, Rodriguez posted a 4-10 record that led the team.

In the fifth inning, Lizama took over and immediately retired the side in order. She faced the minimum nine batters over her three innings of relief; Lizama gave up singles in the sixth and seventh innings, but each runner was thrown out by catcher Pinzon trying to steal second base.

GAME TWO: Jaguars 6, LCU 2

Karina Guzman's (Edinburg, Texas / Vela HS) bases-loaded double that scored three runs in the bottom of the third highlighted a four-run inning that stretched the Jaguars' lead to 5-0. Ramos also knocked an RBI single in the inning that scored Andrea Ortiz (Mission, Texas / Sharyland Pioneer HS).

Ortiz went 3-for-3 in the game, while Alamillo went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in the second inning. Ortiz later gave the Jaguars an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth inning. 

Meanwhile, Lizama continued to baffle LCU batters, scattering only four hits over five shutout innings. After the Wildcats plated two runs in the seventh inning, Bethany Garrett (Georgetown, Texas / East View) shut down the rally with two-thirds of a scoreless inning.