The old baseball/softball adage regarding good pitching beating good offense held true on Saturday, with San Jacinto College’s Niki Gonzalez tossing a shutout to lead the Coyotes to a 4-0 win over the high-powered Angelina College Lady Roadrunners the opening round of the Region XIV Conference Tournament at Roadrunner Complex in Lufkin.
Gonzalez, who entered the game with a 1.45 ERA and a 28-4 record, frustrated the AC lineup all game long, striking out 11 while going the distance in the circle. The Lady ‘Runners managed five hits, two of those doubles from Jordan Kisselburg and Lauren Garza, and put runners in scoring position in three different innings. Each time, Gonzalez worked her way out of trouble without allowing a run.
AC pitcher Jordan Kisselburg gave up just six Coyote hits – all singles, and three of those hits – but San Jac found ways to maximize their opportunities. Coyote Missy Hernandez drew a walk in the first inning and came around to score on Riley Bullen’s single. In the fourth inning, Bullen and Taylor Office drew back-to-back walks, and Taylor McHenry drove home a run with a single. Another infield single from Shelbi Doherty loaded the bases, and Katlin Kerl earned an RBI with a walk. McHenry would drive in San Jac’s final run with a fielder’s choice in the fifth inning.
Gonzalez then struck out the side in AC’s halves of the sixth and seventh inning to cap the Coyote win.
The Lady Roadrunners will have to play their way out of the loser’s bracket starting with Sunday’s matchup with Lamar State College-Port Arthur. That game starts at 12:30 p.m.
In the day’s other first-round games, Blinn beat Kilgore 6-0, Bossier Parish shut out Lamar-PA 8-0 and Galveston upset No. 1-seed Tyler by a 4-2 score.
Sunday’s schedule includes Kilgore vs. Tyler at 10 a.m., AC vs. Lamar-PA at 12:30 p.m., Galveston vs. Blinn at 3 p.m. and San Jacinto vs. Bossier Parish at 5:30 p.m.
