No. 13 Texas A&M softball began the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday, Feb. 19, breaking even against a pair of ranked foes, with a 2-1 loss to No. 14 Oregon and an 11-5 win over No. 14 Duke.
Duped by the Ducks
Game 1 was a mirror match between the Aggies and Ducks. From a pair of similar performances in the circle to identical fourth-inning home runs, A&M and Oregon mirrored each other until a late difference from the Ducks.
In a pitcher’s duel between sophomore right-handed pitcher Sydney Lessentine and senior RHP Lyndsey Grein, both A&M and Oregon’s defense allowed only two hits through a scoreless first three innings. With nearly identical stat lines, the pair of opposing pitchers each recorded a single strikeout as they kept the game tied at zero.
Grein started the day for Oregon by taking down her first three batters in a quick first outing. After another flawless inning from the Virginia Tech transfer, Grein began to budge, surrendering two hits to A&M in the third, singles by sophomore center fielder Frankie Vrazel and junior designated player Mya Perez.
Lessentine followed the same script as her opposing pitcher, shutting down the Oregon offense. Allowing an early hit to sophomore second baseman Kaylynn Jones in the first inning, she quickly finished off the Ducks in the bottom of the second, facing three batters and securing three outs. It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that Lessentine allowed the Ducks their second hit with a single from freshman shortstop Taryn Ho.
Separated by inches, A&M and Oregon entered the fourth inning in a scoreless stalemate as senior first baseman Micaela Wark stepped up to the plate. Leading off for the Aggies, Wark threw the first punch, launching Grein’s pitch past the outfield wall, giving the Maroon and White a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks answered immediately with a solo home run to center field from senior right fielder Elon Butler, tying the game at one apiece.
The two teams continued to copy and paste each other with a scoreless fifth inning.
Unable to get their offense going, the Aggies left two runners on base in an unproductive top of the sixth. However, the Maroon and White found themselves in scoring position from good fortune, not their own doing.
To start the inning, senior 2B Tallen Edwards was hit by a pitch, sacrificing her body to get on base. Unable to match her fourth-inning magic, Wark quickly struck out swinging. Catching a lucky break, a wild pitch from Grein sent Edwards to second base, putting a runner in scoring position for A&M. Sophomore SS KK Dement swung short of the fences, flying out to center field. Freshman catcher Maddie Sauni stepped up to bat, hoping to put the ball in play, yet a walk from Grein sufficed. With two outs and two runners on base, sophomore left fielder Kelsey Mathis couldn’t capitalize on the scoring opportunity, flying out to center field.
In a back-and-forth game, Oregon made plays in the bottom of the sixth that A&M was unable to match.
With sophomore left-handed pitcher Kate Munnerlyn now pitching for the Aggies, she allowed two runners on base, which quickly sent her back to the dugout. Looking to junior RHP Sidne Peters for aid, more of the same followed for the Maroon and White as sophomore C Emma Cox singled to left field, loading the bases for the Ducks. To put the final nail in the coffin, with one out, sophomore pinch hitter Rylee McCoy grounded out to second base, bringing a runner home and putting Oregon ahead 2-1.
Oregon shut out A&M in the seventh inning, taking home the victory. With no choice but to pick their heads up, the Aggies turned their attention to Game 2.
Revenge on the Devils
In the words of the 43rd United States President George W. Bush, “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” A&M was fooled by Duke in the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational, losing 8-6, but it didn’t plan on being fooled again.
With the Aggies’ second at-bat of the game, they made their intentions clear. Sophomore RF Ariel Kowalewski sent a home run over the center field wall, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
The Florida transfer’s team followed suit, as the Maroon and White scored another pair of runs in the first inning, securing a 3-0 lead.
After a lackluster offensive performance against Oregon earlier in the day, A&M proved its firepower in the innings to follow. The Aggies blasted three home runs, two in the third and one in the sixth, totaling 11 runs and 13 hits.
The Fightin’ Farmers rebounded from their prior loss to the Blue Devils, improving their overall hitting by .085, Hitting with two outs improved by .084 and hitting with runners on base improved by a drastic .139.
Peters started in the circle for A&M, pitching six innings after closing against Oregon. The second-year Washington transfer recorded five strikeouts against Duke, vastly improved from the Aggies’ two total strikeouts in their last meeting with the Blue Devils.
A&M will continue play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday, Feb. 20, against UC San Diego with first pitch scheduled for 10:30 p.m.
