Well, that was impressive.
The Texas A&M softball team began its fall campaign with the destruction of Blinn College in a doubleheader on Thursday. Neither game was all that competitive, with the Aggies winning 12-0 in the first game and 11-0 in the second.
Finding a replacement for departed senior Rachel Fox was always going to be a tough job for head coach Jo Evans, with Fox leading the Aggies with 23 wins and 182 strikeouts a year ago. Sophomore transfer Trinity Harrington opened the game as the starter for the Aggies and did well in her Aggie debut. The former Colorado State player dominated from the first pitch en route to a three hit complete game shutout.
Blinn was overmatched from the outset, allowing the Aggies to put up four runs in the first and second innings. Sophomore Erica Russell went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a homer and two RBI.
A&M also featured four freshman throughout the course of both games. Left fielder Keeli Milligan went 1-for-3 in the first game with an RBI and two runs scored. Third baseman Riley Sartain and second baseman Kaitlyn Alderink also received hits in their debuts.
Freshman Samantha Show took to the rubber in the second game for the Aggies and she did not disappoint. A highly touted recruit from East Bernard, TX, Show pitched well, allowing only two hits in a complete game effort. Evans had high praise for the freshman after the game.
“I liked the way she attacked hitters,” Evans said. “I thought she had her rise ball jumping and kept the ball down. She had a nice changeup that she can throw. The great thing about her is that she’s got a lot of weapons.”
Seniors Cali Lanphear and Breanna Dozier had themselves quite a second game. Lanphear led the duo with hitting a two-out rocket off of Blinn starter Sam Junkin for an RBI triple to put the Aggies ahead 1-0. Dozier added a solo shot to extend the lead to 2-0.
A&M broke the game open in the fourth inning, using a two-run homer from sophomore Tori Vidales and another solo homer from Dozier to put five runs on the board and put the game out of reach.
The Aggies are back in action on Friday at 4 p.m. against Galveston College.
