SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State softball team shutout its third straight opponent in an 8-0 run-rule win over Adams State and defeated Emporia State 8-3 on the second day of the George McCorkle Challenge.
The Rambelles (8-1) combined to score 16 runs on 23 hits and held opponents to three runs on eight hits. Two career records were broken in the win over Emporia State as Brandy Marlett set the ASU mark for strikeouts and Madison Greenwell took the top spot for career triples. Â
"It was another great day," Angelo State head softball coach Travis Scott said. "Morgan had a great performance in game one and we got some big hits in game two. We need to be ready for the final day so we can get two more wins for George McCorkle."
Morgan Hill continued the outstanding pitching performance by ASU pitchers. The junior held Adams State to two hits and retired seven straight at one point. She had to work out of trouble in the second inning. A walk and a single followed by a sacrifice bunts put runners on second and third. The Salado native got a fielder's choice to get the runner t thee plate and she struck out the final batter to get out of the jam.
The Rambelles put up run support in the second inning. Taegan Kirk led off the inning with a double to left field and Danae Bina brought her home with her own double to left field. Alexis Evans singled to right center to plate Bina for a 2-0 lead.
An ASU double leadoff the third as Courtney Barnhill put a ball in the left center gap. The freshman went to third on a fly ball and would steal home on a throwback to the pitcher.
Kenedy Urbany continued padding the score in the fourth with a two-RBI double to center field that scored Madison Greenwell and Bailey Wallace.
Up 5-0, Angelo State enforced the run-rule in the fifth inning. Â Pinch runner Megan Gordon scored on an error by the third baseman and Evans recorded her second RBI of the game. Katlyn Herzog ended the game in the fifth with a double to center field to bring in pinch runner Amanda Ramage.
Marlett made history in the first inning versus Emporia State. The junior struck out the third out of the inning for her 387th strike out of her career to pass ASU Hall of Honor member Claudia Lopez.
Greenwell tied the career record for triple leading off the bottom of the first. The junior hit a ball to the right center gap and used her speed for her ninth career triple tying Whitney Meeks and Michelle Hoffman. She would score two batters later on a throwing error by the centerfielder of a 1-0 advantage.
Emporia State scored the first run off an ASU pitcher in the third inning to tie the game. The Rambelles responded in a big way in the bottom of the third. Urbany hit a ground-rule double to put runners and second and third with Barnhill up at the plate. The freshman crushed her first career home run to left field and add three RBIs.
The Hornets trimmed ASU's lead to 4-3 in the fourth off Marlett. The junior would only allow two hits in the fifth and sixth to maintain the advantage.
The Rambelles extended their lead in the sixth with all the runs coming with two outs. Bina and Karina Rocha hit back-to-back singles with Bina later scoring on a wild pitch. Rocha scored as Evans hit her second double of the game to left center. Brooke Mangold continued the double streak with one down the left field line to make the score 7-3.
Greenwell etched her place in the ASU record book for the final run of the game. The Flower Mound native sent a ball to right field and coasted into third base and plating Mangold for her 10th career triple to put ASU up 8-3.
Urbany came in to pitch the seventh inning and only gave up one hit. Marlett earned the win and is now 4-1 on the season and has 390 in her career.
The Rambelles will play on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. against Adams State and Texas A&M International at 5 p.m. on the final day of the George McCorkle Challenge.
