Softball Finishes Strong With Win Over A&M-Commerce

COMMERCE, Texas – Texas Southern softball capped off its best weekend since 2018 as they defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 4-2 for a 4-1 finish at the Lion Classic.
 
TSU once again had a fast start as Jordan McClain led the game off with a hit by pitch and made her way to third after a pair of wild pitches. Pam Richardson and Saniah Henderson both drew walks to load the bases as McClain scored on a wild pitch with one out. Lanay Carr hit a sac fly for a 2-0 margin followed by Deana Zuniga’s RBI for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Lions answered with an unearned run in the first to cut the lead to 3-1 and the game turned into a defensive contest from that point as TSU freshman pitcher Kristen Driver and the TSU defense held the Lions scoreless through four-and-a-half innings. Fellow freshman Kaelani
Randle took the mound to open the bottom of the fifth and ran into some early trouble as the Lions doubled and walked with one out. Randle forced a big strikeout for the second out but a single and bases loaded walk saw the Lions draw to within 3-2. TSU would end the inning with a fielder’s choice.
 
TSU’s Madison Griggs opened the sixth with a leadoff single and moved over on Zuniga’s sac bunt. Ja’Lynn Swiney’s double drove in Griggs for a 4-2 lead. Freshman Maren Berger took the mound in the bottom of the sixth and the TSU defense came up big by throwing a runner out at second and an inning-ending groundout after a two-out triple.
 
After a scoreless seventh by TSU, the Lions couldn’t capitalize as Berger earned the save after a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Sunday’s win was a team effort as six Tigers had hits while four scored with three having an RBI (Swiney, Zuniga and Carr). Driver earned her first career win as she allowed only two hits with a strikeout in four innings of action while Berger picked up her first career save.
 
TSU will have a week to regroup as they’re in action next Tuesday, Feb. 20 against Lamar in its 2024 home opener at Memorial Park at 2 p.m.