Fresh off a sweep against the then-ranked No. 22 Auburn Tigers, No. 6 Texas A&M softball won the first game of its series against the No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide, 5-4. The team from Tuscaloosa, Alabama led early but failed to hold off the Maroon and White on Friday, March, 21.
“That was an exciting game,” coach Trisha Ford said. “I felt like our energy was really good tonight. I felt like we had contributions from every person, whether they were on the field or off the field.”
Despite struggling to find the strike zone in the earlygoing, starting junior right-handed pitcher Grace Sparks escaped the first two innings, surrendering just one walk and no runs or hits to Alabama. A&M had the same struggles at bat, recording just one hit in the first three.
The Crimson Tide began rolling in the top of the third when a controversial fair-ball call saw sophomore shortstop Salen Hawkins reach second. Ford stepped out of the dugout to challenge the call, but it was eventually confirmed, much to the chagrin of the 12th Man in attendance.
“I’m gonna have to go look at that,” Ford said. “So I don’t know. We will get some more looks. It looked foul, but obviously it went back to review, and they said it was fair … regardless, we can’t play umpire. We have to play through the ball, you know.”
Alabama took the lead later that inning when a sacrifice fly by senior second baseman Kali Heivilin brought Hawkins in from third base. A&M failed to answer immediately, having its batters sent back in identical order to round out the third.
The Aggies tied things back up in the bottom of the fourth after senior designated player Mac Barbara hit a single to center field that dropped before the outfielder could reach it, allowing freshman pinch-runner Kelsey Mathis to tie the game, 1-1.
Alabama refused to take its foot off the gas pedal, as its bats caught fire in the top of the fifth. It all started with an error at the warning track, when the ball bounced right out of the glove of senior center fielder Allie Enright. The batters then proceeded to make Sparks’ life hell, with three-straight hits.
This included a one-run double by Hawkins and a two-run home run by freshman CF Audrey Vandagriff, which was just the second of the season for the leadoff woman. Down 4-1 the Aggies decided to make a switch on the mound, bringing in sophomore RHP Sidne Peters in relief.
“She’s a tough out,” Ford said. “She’s got some speed. She obviously has a little bit of power, got some juice, so I think, you know, we just have to maybe execute our pitches a little bit better … we left some balls over the heart of the plate that you can’t do against a good hitter.”
Peters managed to hold her own, striking out two batters and escaping the inning without surrendering any more runs from the Crimson Tide. The Aggies inched closer in the bottom of the inning when freshman pinch hitter Frankie Vrazel recorded a single before making her way to third off a wild pitch and a stolen base.
Senior SS Koko Wooley drove in the run off a ground out to Alabama’s second basemen. While failing to put any more runs on the board and trailing 4-2, A&M stayed calm and collected as Peters held the visiting team captive in the top of the sixth.
The Aggies proved just how tough they really are as, while down, they were never out. Sophomore first baseman Mya Perez brought them within one with a solo home run to deep left-center field with the score now sitting, 4-3.
“You can feel the vibe shift, but once the momentum is back on our side, then we have all the energy, and we just have to do better at maintaining that,” Perez said. “… Getting punched in the mouth, it kind of sucks, but we just have to understand that we are not going to go down without a fight. We’re going to play all through seven innings.”
After recording another single off Alabama starting sophomore RHP Jocelyn Briski, the Crimson Tide made a change on the mound with junior RHP Alea Johnson in to hopefully carry them over the finish line. The lights at Davis Diamond were too bright for the reliever, though, with home run specialist Barbara up at bat and all 2,277 of the fans in attendance roaring.
The struggling San Diego State transfer was brought in by Ford for moments like these, and proved just how impactful of a player she is by knocking the ball over the wall in right field for the two-run home run, giving A&M the 5-4 lead.
“I just came out feeling good,” Barbara said. “I thought today I came out, good attitude, good spirits, feeling good physically and mentally.”
Leading for the first time tonight, all the Aggies needed to do was hold on, which is easier said than done with Vandagriff up at bat. The speedster almost reached third but was thwarted thanks to an excellent throw by Wooley. Despite getting multiple women on base, the Tide failed to get back in the game, and the Aggies earned the 5-4 comeback victory.
A&M takes on Alabama for the second game of the series on Saturday, March 22.
