CONROE, Texas – No. 25-ranked Central Missouri Jennies softball dropped a pair of games to open its 2022 season Sunday, Feb. 6, in the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational, falling to Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2-1, and No. 15 Oklahoma Christian, 3-2.
The Jennies (0-2) are slated to wrap up play in Conroe with a pair of games Monday, Feb. 7, against No. 22 Texas A&M-Commerce at 9 a.m. and No. 1 UT-Tyler at 11 a.m.
Game 1: Texas A&M-Kingsville 2, No. 25 Central Missouri 1
In the season opener for UCM, the Jennies took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third when MaKenzie Cooper dropped an RBI single into left field, scoring
Peyton Corrigan.
Central Missouri held onto its advantage until the bottom of the fifth when the Javelinas (2-1) tied the contest, 1-1, on a Kayla Gonzales home run.
Texas A&M-Kingsville took the lead and inning later, 2-1, on a Natalie Rodriguez RBI single to left.
Cooper,
Bailee Bryant and
Jessica Sader each had a hit to pace the Jennies offensively.
Kyleigh Lay (0-1) took the loss in the circle for Central Missouri, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with five walks and three strikeouts in six innings.
Gonzales led the Javelinas in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a homer.
Beth Montes (1-0) earned the win for Texas A&M-Kingsville after surrendering one earned run on three hits with seven Ks and just one walk in a full seven innings.
Game 2: No. 15 Oklahoma Christian 3, No. 25 Central Missouri 2
In the nightcap, the Jennies went up 2-0 over Oklahoma Christian on a pair of RBI singles from
Makenzie McAtee in the fourth inning and
Ashlyn Cook in the fifth inning before the Eagles plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single off the bat of Hannah Pate and two UCM errors, tying the game, 2-2.
The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh when Oklahoma Christian's Aaliyah Brown hit a walk-off single to centerfield for the 3-2 win.
Cook and
Bailee Bryant both went 2-of-3 at the plate, with Cook also collecting a double and RBI leading UCM in game two.
Pitcher
Sadie Parks (0-1) suffered the loss in the circle for Central Missouri, giving up three runs – two earned – on nine hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Pate and Kylie Janzen each had a pair of hits in four at bats, pacing the Eagles (3-1) offensively.
Oklahoma Christian reliever Kali Crandall (2-1) earned the win after tossing 2 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings with two Ks.
