HUNTSVILLE — The Sam Houston softball team used a 5-run third inning to kick off its 2025 campaign with a 5-0 win over New Mexico on Thursday at the Bearkat Softball Complex on the opening day of Bearkat Classic.
Sam Houston (1-0) had 12 hits in the game, with five coming in a 5-run frame in the third, accounting for all the game's scoring. Sophomore Amy Abke made that hold up with 5.0 scoreless innings in the circle, allowing just one hit to earn her first win.
Abigail Young held serve for the final 2.0 frames, allowing just two base runners in her season debut.
Four Kats had a pair of hits, but it was Brodie Quinlan who got Sam Houston on the board with an RBI single off the right-center field fence in the third. That opened the floodgates as Bella Perez followed with an RBI single, her second hit of the game, with a Lobo (1-1) error plating a third run on the play.
Kristyn Whitlock and Allie Saville added RBI of their own, with three of the runs going against UNM starter Marina Tinari, who was saddled with the loss.
New Mexico had opened the day with an 8-0, run-rule victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Lobos will move on to take part in the Houston Tournament for the rest of the weekend, while the Bearkat Classic continues with three games on Friday beginning with Tulsa vs AMCC at 11:30 a.m.
The Islanders will then take on Bryant before the Bearkats and Bulldogs battle in the day's finale, scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.
