It was a tough weekend for No. 16 Aggie softball as the team fell twice to No. 7 Texas at McCombs Field in Austin, dropping the series 2-1.
A&M (33-16, 13-8 Big 12) scored early in the first game, with junior Brittany Walker bringing teammate Amber Garza around from second base in the top of the second. The Longhorns (39-8, 13-6 Big 12) followed suit with a run of their own off several hits to tie the game.
Blaire Luna started in the circle for the Longhorns, with Mel Dumezich throwing for A&M. The Longhorn ace struggled in her 2 1/3 innings pitched, giving up five runs on four hits and five walks.
Junior All-American Meagan May sparked the Aggie offense with a solo home run, her ninth of the season. A walk and a hit later, sophomore Nicole Morgan showcased her power with a three-run bomb over the left-field fence.
Morgan struck again with her second long ball of the game in the top of the fifth inning to increase the lead to 6-1.
We arent losing sight of how much we have accomplished and how confident we are as a team, Morgan said. Our pitchers are doing a great job and our offense is on fire.
The teams fire didnt last through the Saturday match, though. Texas scored three runs in the bottom of the frame off a single and a home run by Taylor Hoagland.
Dumezich, who walked five Longhorns, gave up two free passes in the seventh inning. Left fielder Torie Schmidt stepped up and lined a ball to right field to score two and end the game in walk-off fashion, 7-6. The Aggies left 12 runners on base throughout the game.
We had every chance to win that ballgame and thats what is frustrating to me, head coach Jo Evans said following Saturdays game. We go out there and we get a commanding lead. In the fifth inning, we walk a batter, we misjudge a fly ball we have a chance to get outs and we dont get outs. That came back to haunt us.
Day two got started with freshman Lauren Ainsley in the circle for the Aggies while Rachel Fox started for the Longhorns.
Garza homered down the right field line to give A&M the early lead again in the second inning, but that did not last long, as Hoagland hit her second home run of the weekend. This two-run shot over the left field wall gave the Horns the 2-1 lead.
The fifth inning brought more trouble for the Aggies, with Hoagland hitting another bomb to center field, followed by Brejae Washingtons home run to expand the lead to 4-1.
Texas pitchers avoided Morgans hot bat, walking her three times on Sunday including in the fifth inning. Walker singled, to place runners on the bases for A&M. A flyout and an error sent two runners across the plate, to close the gap to one run.
But the comeback would be too little too late, as the Aggies dropped the second game and the series to the Longhorns, 3-4.
The Aggies will host Kansas in its final conference series of the season Friday through Saturday at the Aggie Softball Complex.