BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University softball managed a split with the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi during Friday's home doubleheader. Late fielding errors led to a 4-2 Game 1 defeat, but strong performances from Karyana Mitchell on the mound and Veronica Harrison at the plate led to a 5-1 Game 2 victory for Big Red.
 
Cameron Niedenthal and Shenita Tucker each chipped in RBI in Game 1 with Niedenthal smashing her second home run of the season. Emma Wardlaw got tagged with the loss for the Cardinals in a complete game effort allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
 
Harrison (2 RBI) led LU with two hits in Game 2 while Tucker and Trinity Brandon also managed to knock runs in. Another complete game performance on the mound for the Cardinals saw Karyana Mitchell record her 11^th win of the season allowing one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
 
Game 1: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, LU 2
 
The Islanders struck first with an RBI single in the top of the third, but LU responded in the bottom of the inning as Tucker rewarded a triple from Kalyn Xayaseng with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The bottom of the fourth then saw Niedenthal crush a 3-1 pitch to left center and give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
 
Things would come unraveled in the top of the sixth, however, as a go-ahead two-run double from the Islanders regained them the lead. Three fielding errors in the inning from the Cardinals would result in another run as the visitors went ahead 4-2. LU would load the bases in the bottom of the seventh after an error and two hit batters, but the team's 12^th strikeout of the game would finish things off.
 
Game 2: LU 5, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
 
After Mitchell stranded two runners in the top of the second, LU took the lead in the bottom of the third as Tucker scored on a throwing error from right field on a single from Jayne Sepulveda.
 
Big Red then loaded the bases with no outs in top of the fifth from a single and two errors. Brandon then knocked in a run on an RBI groundout before Harrison logged a two-RBI single to push the Cardinal lead to four. Another RBI groundout from Tucker in the bottom of the sixth would be the final run for LU on the night.
 
LU will look to come out on top in the series as the two teams square off tomorrow at 12 p.m. at the LU Softball Complex. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.