A&M-Victoria softball sweeps Concordia (TX), Ortiz earns 350th win

The Texas A&M University-Victoria softball team continued its red-hot start to the season on Tuesday.

The Jaguars swept Concordia University-Texas, 10-1 (5 inn.) and 6-3, to move to 4-0 to start the year. The pair of wins gave head coach Lindsey Ortiz her 350^th career victory as a head coach, all of which have come at A&M-Victoria.

A&M-Victoria has now scored 43 runs through its first four games, the most in the nation.

The Jaguars had to come from behind in Game 2 to sweep the series.

"In our postgame, we touched on (us winning in multiple ways)," Ortiz said. "That big first game win, that offensive production is great. But I think it's also really important they had to come from behind in Game 2, play under pressure in Game 2 because, when we go into this weekend, that's what we're going to be facing. So, I think this was a great series to prep us for what's to come."

Alyssa Carter's four RBIs helped propel the Jaguars to their second consecutive sweep. Deeandra Maldonado, Daizie Fuentez and Fayth Hoover had multi-RBI games in the series, as well.

Angelina Morales had hits in both games to extend her hitting streak to four games to open the season.

Game 1

It didn't take long for the A&M-Victoria bats to get going to open the series.

The Jaguars used a six-run second inning to open the scoring and never looked back. Maldonado, Fuentez and Madison Carr each drove in a run before Carter delivered an RBI double to left field to score Carr and Khamryn Werdlow. Morales capped the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single.

Another RBI by Fuentez in the third and RBIs by Maldonado and Cristela Trevino in the fourth sealed the run-rule victory.

Werdlow and Kitty Coe had the lone multi-hit games for the Jaguars in Game 1 as they scattered 12 hits against the Tornados.

"I'm very happy to see how the offense is progressing," Carter said. "A lot of us are hitting very selflessly. I think a lot of us are just trying to get a job done and be productive."

Keira Reis earned the win in Game 1 with an inning of relief behind starter Zoe Hardy.

Hardy threw two shutout innings and struck out a pair of batters. Haley Noska had an identical line to Hardy, striking out two over two scoreless frames to seal the win.

Game 2

After falling behind in the first inning for the first time this season, A&M-Victoria went to work.

The Jaguars took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third after RBIs from Werdlow and Carter. But Concordia answered back the next inning with a pair of runs to take a 3-2 lead.

Fayth Hoover played hero in Game 2, delivering a two-run double down the left field line to give A&M-Victoria a lead that wouldn't be relinquished. Trevino's RBI double in the fifth and Carter's sacrifice fly in the sixth gave the Jaguars enough cushion to see the game out.

Jocelyne Galvan earned the win, throwing two innings of relief behind Madelyn Butler.

Freshman Kailea Freeman earned her first collegiate save, pitching three scoreless innings and striking out four batters to shut the door on any Concordia rally.

"It felt really good," Freeman said. "I just feel that, with the team, it's so natural. I know I can trust them and I know I can trust myself because I've been doing it for so long. So, everything just felt so natural."

Next up

The Jaguars are on the road this weekend to face the field at the LSU Alexandria tournament in Pineville, Louisiana. They open up the tournament against William Carey at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6.