Throughout the Southeastern Conference this weekend, softball teams honored the life and legacy of Alex Wilcox, a softball player at Mississippi State from 2017- 18 who battled ovarian cancer throughout her career.
Since her passing in 2018, SEC teams have dawned teal in her memory, including Texas A&M softball, which wore teal socks as it welcomed Loyola Marymount to Davis Diamond for the second of three games. Following the Aggies’ demolition of the Lions in the opener, the visitors hoped to improve their fortunes.
Unfortunately for LMU, A&M followed up their opening performance with another stellar one, defeating the Lions 6-2.
The Maroon and White continued its dominance during the first inning, starting from the pitching circle, where freshman Sydney Lessentine dismissed the Lions without challenge, retiring the opposition lineup without allowing a runner into scoring position.
A&M’s hitters did not wait long to support their pitcher, as hits from sophomore first baseman Mya Perez and graduate designated hitter Mac Barbara saw the Aggies plate two runs.
What followed was rinse and repeat. Lessentine mowed down the Lions, and hitters put three more on the board. This time, it was through a double from senior left fielder Kramer Eschete, a single off the bat of junior third baseman Kennedy Powell, and a towering two-run homer at the hands of junior right fielder Amari Harper.
The following inning saw the inexperienced Lessentine struggle with consistency. She put hitters in a difficult position several times but followed up with a poor delivery, enabling solid contact. This saw the Lions register four hits and two runs, cutting the Aggies’ lead to three runs.
A&M’s hitters immediately relieved this pressure during the bottom of the inning. Freshman second baseman KK Dement lifted a ball into foul territory, enabling runners to tag and eventually score, bringing the score to 6-2.
In the top of the fourth, coach Trisha Ford went to the bullpen. Lessentine was replaced by another freshman, Kate Munnerlyn. The leftie let several runners reach base and eventually scored position, but the Los Gatos, California native slammed the door shut, keeping the Lions off the board.
In the bottom, senior shortstop Koko Wooley blasted a two-out pitch deep into center field. Unfortunately, the ball narrowly remained in play. A matter of inches turned a three-run home run into a flyout, ending the inning.
During the fifth, the visitors once again challenged Munnerlyn, but the freshman held her ground. Timely pitching stranded two Aggie runners.
Both teams continued to threaten but failed to impact the score. After seven innings of play, the Aggies left victorious 6-2.
The Maroon and White face the Lions again on Sunday, March 30, as they look to sweep the visitors. The first pitch is scheduled for noon at Davis Diamond.
