In addition to solidifying its place as one of the elite teams in the Big 12, the Texas A&M softball team showed its taste for drama on Oscar weekend. The No. 23 Aggies squeaked past No. 5 Nebraska in extra innings on Saturday and Sunday to sweep the Cornhuskers and win the series.
After inconsistent tournament showings during spring break, the Aggies asserted their dominance at home, continuing to take advantage of the familiar surroundings. In addition, the Aggies were able to stop the Husker juggernaut, taking two key conference games from a team that had just set the school record for its best 20 game start.
The Aggies (23-11, 3-1 Big 12) took the first game on Saturday, 3-2, needing nine innings to put away the Huskers (19-7, 1-3 Big 12). Defense proved to be important as Husker starter Peaches James and Aggie starter Lindsay Wilhelmson were engaged in a pitcher’s duel, with Wilhelmson (11-4) getting the complete game win. Huskers’ senior outfielder Lisa Wangler hit a homerun off Wilhelmson, providing one of the few offensive sparks of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Aggies were able to counter, scoring two runs as Wilhelmson returned the favor, hitting a shot off the light post past the left field fence. The defensive battle continued for the next five innings until Aggie freshman outfielder Rocky Spencer came to the plate with one out and knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“We definitely expected to see a tough game,” said Nebraska Head Coach Rhonda Revelle. “We’re still working to hit our stride on offense and defense, and we didn’t feel like we adjusted well at the plate.”
Meanwhile, A&M Assistant Coach Joy Jackson was pleased with the win over such a highly ranked opponent.
“It was a big win, and it gives us great momentum knowing we beat the No. 5 team in the nation,” Jackson said. “Our conference is really tough, and being able to see this type of competition just makes us better.”
The second game was more offensively minded, however. Neither team was able to truly pull away. The game was deadlocked at two beginning in the bottom of the fourth, and neither side managed to push a run across until the top of the 10th inning. The Huskers were able to score three runs, taking advantage of two costly Aggie errors and four hits.
Things looked grim in the bottom of the 10th as the Aggies were facing seasoned veteran Peaches James. However, senior catcher Selena Collins came through with a three-run triple to tie the game. Finally, in the bottom of the 12th , the Aggies took the lead for good off a run scoring double by sophomore second baseman, Adrian Gregory. Gregory’s hit allowed the Aggies to be the first team to sweep the Huskers since 1999.
“It feels great to come out and set the pace for Big 12 play,” Collins said. “Everybody contributed in a good team win, and this shows what we can do when we play the way that we are capable of playing.”
Next up for the Aggies is a doubleheader with the Southwest Texas State Bearkats. The series is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex.