Softball Opens 2024 Campaign With Split

COMMERCE, Texas – Texas Southern softball split a pair of contests to open the 2024 season at the Lion Classic in Commerce, Texas.

UMASS LOWELL 7, TSU 1
UMass Lowell claimed an early lead to set the tone en route to a 7-1 win in both teams’ season opener.

UMass Lowell scored a run to open the first inning but TSU starter Madalynn Gonzales prevented further damage with two runners on as she forced a groundout and strikeout. The River Hawks added another run with two outs in the fourth for a 2-0 lead and broke it open with three runs in the fifth to lead 5-0.

TSU scored its first run of the 2024 campaign in the bottom half as Madison Martinez, who reached on a two-out walk, scored on Pam Richardson’s RBI single. UMass Lowell tacked on two runs in the seventh for the final margin.

TSU finished with four hits as Jordan McClain, Richardson, Lanay Carr and Marissa Martinez all had hits.  Gonzales struck out six in 4.2 innings of action as Kaelani Randle also saw action on the mound.

TSU 8, STONEHILL COLLEGE 7

The bats woke up in game two as TSU had 15 hits and held off a late rally by Stonehill College in the second contest on Friday.

Saniah Henderson drove in the game’s first run with an RBI double in the first but Stonehill answered with four runs over the next three innings for a 4-1 lead. TSU would rally back starting in the fourth as Lanay Carr hit a solo homer followed by Pam Richardson’s RBI single to score Ja’Lynn Swiney in the fifth. Henderson once again came up big in the fifth with a two-RBI single to score Jordan McClain and Richardson as TSU led 5-4. Madison Griggs capped off the scoring in the inning with an RBI single as Henderson would cross home for a 6-4 margin.

Angel Morales’ RBI double in the seventh drove in Marisa Perla for a 7-4 margin followed by Deana Zuniga’s sac fly which scored Griggs. The runs were big as Stonehill College rallied back in the bottom half as they were down 8-7 with two outs and the tying run on base.

TSU called upon senior pitcher Lailah Bell to relive starter Maren Berger as Stonehill stole second to move into scoring position. However, Bell forced a game-ending groundout to earn the save.

McClain finished 3-for-4 with two runs while Richardson, Henderson, Carr and Swiney had two hits apiece. Henderson also led TSU with three RBI.

Berger went 6.2 innings with two strikeouts in her collegiate debut as Bell earned the save,

TSU back in action on Saturday against both UMass Lowell and Stonehill College at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. The contests were moved up an hour due to a scheduling adjustment.