The fifth ranked Texas A&M softball team’s weekend series with South Carolina was cut short after inclement weather caused a cancellation of Monday’s game. Two wins moved the Aggies record to 31-3 (9-2 SEC) and marked the fourth win in a row after their home loss to Missouri Last Saturday.
Saturday’s scoring started in the top of the second inning when Kaitlyn Alderink drove home Keeli Milligan after two walks, both with two outs. The Aggie bats continued in the fourth with singles from Erica Russell, Milligan and Alderink loading the bases before a Riley Sartain single brought Russell and Milligan home.
South Carolina would strike back on an Aggie throwing error to third in the bottom half of the fourth inning, bringing the score to 3-1. A Sarah Hudek single in the sixth would add another run, and a sacrifice fly from Samantha Show would bring Ashley Walters home and end A&M’s scoring in the sixth. The Gamecocks were able to add another run in the bottom of the sixth, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Aggies won 5-2.
“I think the key was how many walks we took today,” A&M head coach Jo Evans told 12thman.com. “We did a nice job of setting the table and getting runners on with two outs. Kaitlyn Alderink looked great out there and got some big hits for us. Riley Sartain had some big RBI and Sarah Hudek had a big hit as well. It was nice to see us get quality at bats throughout the order.”
Sunday brought another win for the Aggies, but at a much larger margin. In fact, A&M’s sixteen runs set the record for SEC play, and tied the school’s record for runs in a conference game.
Doubles from Tori Vidales and Sartain would start the Aggies out with a 1-0 lead in the first. An offensive explosion of eight runs in the second inning came off four runs and four walks. Walters and Show walked before an Erica Russell bunt-single loaded the bases. Milligan drove in Walters with a single, and then Vidales would bring in Show and Russell with her second double of the game.
A walk would reload the bases before Sartain was hit by a pitch, bringing home one more run. Hudek would sac-fly to give the Aggies a 6-0 lead. After an RBI apiece by Walters and Show, the Gamecocks were finally able to end the inning.
The fourth saw four more A&M runs, courtesy of an RBI double from Walters and a three run shot from Show. A three run homer from Russell (her second of the year) would wrap up scoring for the Aggies, who scored 16 runs on 14 hits in just five innings.
Show pitched the entire game, giving up only three hits and two walks through five innings. She also added three strikeouts, and brought her ERA to 1.01.
“I thought Sam looked really confident,” Coach Evans said to 12thman.com. “She threw strikes and made things happen for the team. You can see that Samantha is confident and she wants the ball. She went right after their hitters.”
The Aggies will host Mcneese State Wednesday, April 5th at 6:30 before another weekend series with Oklahoma State starting Friday April 7th. SEC play resumes on the 14th when the Aggies travel to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.
