CORPUS CHRISTI ? Led both at the plate and in the circle by Morgan Mikulin, Sam Houston State split a Southland Conference softball doubleheader with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday afternoon.

The Bearkats won the first game 5-0, but lost in the nightcap 7-5. Sam Houston State now stands 14-15 for the season and 6-3 in Southland Conference action. The Islanders are 13-15 for the year and 6-8 in league play.

Mikulin went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a home run, each hit scoring a run. She also was the winning pitcher, spreading five hits over seven innings to post her fourth shutout of the season. The victory upped Mikulin's season pitching record to 8-6.

Amy Brown and Tanya Hooser started the scoring for the Bearkats, both with RBI singles in the second inning.

The Bearkats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second game, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi knocked starting pitcher Brandi Crnkovic out of the circle with a five-run third inning to go up 5-3. The Islanders added two more scores in the fourth inning to build a 7-3 lead.

Sam Houston rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough.

Hailey Wiginton and Amanda Lindsey each had an RBI double. Brown went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Mikulin also had an RBI single.

Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will meet Saturday afternoon in a single game to conclude the three game series. Sam Houston State returns home Tuesday and Wednesday to host a three-game Southland series with McNeese State at Bearkat Softball Stadium.