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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – It took 12 innings to get through game one before HBU made quick work of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in game two at Chapman Field on Friday afternoon as the Husky softball team allowed just one earned run and swept the opening two games of its three-game Southland Conference series with the Islanders.
 
Game 1
 
Both pitchers were in control in the first game with just one total baserunner through two and a half innings. In the bottom half of the third, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (8-30, 2-15) got a leadoff single off the bat of Candice Hadd. Hadd advanced to second on a groundout before stealing third, putting her in scoring position to score on another ground ball out and put the Islanders ahead, 1-0.
 
HBU (15-21, 6-14 SLC) remained hitless until Libby Brown reached on an infield single in the top of the fifth following Nicole Shedd reaching on an error. Both runners advanced to second and third with nobody out for the first threat of the game for the Huskies. However, Shedd and Brown were both stranded as TAMUCC starter Liz Carter struck out the side for three of her 11 strikeouts for the game.
 
Kay Schroeder opened the sixth with a walk thanks to a 10-pitch at-bat. The junior moved up to second on a passed ball before scampering home on a two-out single through the right side by Kassie James to tie the game.
 
The score remained 1-1 until the 10^th inning, with both starting pitchers still in the game, when according to NCAA rules a runner is placed on second base to start each team's at bat. With Amber Lotz on second, Demi Janak advanced the runner with a sacrifice bunt to set up Schroeder to single in Lotz and put HBU ahead 2-1. The Islanders responded in similar fashion in the bottom of the inning to score one and send it to the 11^th.
 
In the 11^th inning, HBU again scored one run after a leadoff sacrifice bunt moved Cecilia Bauer over to third in position to score on a Shedd sacrifice fly. For the Islanders, the leadoff sacrifice bunt resulted in a throwing error by pitcher Emily Mueller allowing the batter to reach base, putting runners on first and third with nobody out. Savannah Sandoval was up next, driving in a run with a bunt single followed by another bunt single that loaded the bases with nobody out. Mueller escaped the jam by inducing two consecutive infield flies and recording the third out of the inning on a bunt attempt by Aspen Auger to extend the game to the 12^th inning.
 
With the score tied 3-3, Lotz opened the inning with a sacrifice bunt, reaching second on an error by Carter with Brooke Bushman scoring from second. Janak then bunted Lotz over to third before Schroeder reached on an infield single to put runners on first and third. Heidi Jaquez hit a line drive to right that was caught but allowed Lotz to score and Schroeder to move on to third where she was able to score on a passed ball to put HBU ahead by three. The Islanders managed to plate one run in the bottom of the inning but the Huskies held on for the 6-4 victory.
 
In the circle, Mueller threw 127 pitches over 12 innings while earning the win. The senior allowed just one earned run and 10 hits, all singles, with one strikeout and one walk. She moves to 7-13 for the year. Carter, meanwhile, totaled 195 pitches in taking the loss.
 
Game 2
 
Bushman reached in the top of the second on an error with one out, scoring two batters later with two outs on a double down the left field line by Janak. The Huskies maintained that 1-0 lead until the fifth inning when a two-out rally started with a walk to James. Shedd then reached on an error and a Brown infield single loaded the bases. James scored the second run of the game when Bushman was hit by a pitch. Megan Hiers followed at the plate, reaching on the second Islander error of the inning with both Shedd and Brown crossing the plate for a 4-0 HBU lead.
 
The Huskies tacked on run number five in the sixth on an RBI double by Brown that brought James across. TAMUCC got a pair of back-to-back singles with two outs in the sixth and a walk issued by HBU starter Stephanie Buenrostro loaded the bases, but Buenrostro induced a pop-up to second to end the threat and the inning. Hiers led off the HBU seventh with a single followed by a walk to Janak. Two batters later, Jaquez doubled to left to score Hiers and bring the final run of the game home.
 
Buenrostro scattered four hits over seven innings, all of them singles, while striking out two and walking one. She improved to 6-5 for the season. Between Mueller and Buenrostro, the pair did not allow a single extra-base hit over 19 innings of work in the circle.
 
Brown finished the day 5-for-9 with one run scored, one run batted in and a double. In addition to Brown, James picked up multiple hits in both games, combining to go 4-for-9 with two RBI and a run scored.
 
HBU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will conclude the series Saturday, April 22, afternoon at Chapman Field with a single game starting at 12:00 p.m.