KINGSVILLE, Texas — Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas softball outlasted St.Edward's University 6-5 and 7-5 on Friday in the Lone Star Conference double-header at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field. The first game went to extras, finishing in the eighth inning. Megan Geyer hit the game one walk-off and head coach Orlando Salinas earned career win 100.
"We've had a couple walk-offs this season," Salinas said. "This is just so special, you know we're down to our last out and Megan came and got a huge hit."
TAMUK sophomore and Calallen grad Megan Geyer had been out for a month, so to come in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and hit a 2 RBI walk-off to win the game was miraculous.
"It felt really good. I had a really bad injury and it just felt good to be able to go in there, do it for my team," Geyer said. "I haven't been with them in a while, so it felt good to do it for my team and obviously Coach O."
Calallen alum Alaunah Almaraz got things going for the Javelinas in the third inning. Down 1-0, the sophomore hit a high pop up to right field for an RBI single. St. Edward's scored 3 more runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
TAMUK closed the gap in the sixth. It started with Kennia Chong hitting a sac fly to center field giving Elena Gonzales time to score. Then Isabella Hernandez hit a near perfect grounder down the third base line to bring home Dakota Martinez.
"These ladies have worked so hard all through the year and there's a reason we had an 11-game winning streak. These ladies are so resilient," Salinas said.
Salinas has followed in his late father Hector Salinas' footsteps. Hector was a storied baseball high-school and college baseball coach starting the Texas A&M-Kingsville program after a long period of dormancy and starting the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi program from its formative stages. The legendary local baseball coach and former Del Mar College trustee died in April 2021 at the age of 76 from kidney failure.
"I mean 100 is super special. My mom was able to come today," Salinas said. "First game she's been to, and so we could feel his (dad) spirit. To know I know he's up there fired up and I miss you pops."
TAMUK has now won 13 games in-a-row. It's the sixth longest win streak in program history. The Javelinas are home again on Sunday for a Lone Star Conference double-header against St. Mary's at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Should they then win both on Sunday, it will be the fifth longest streak in program history.
