No. 5 Texas A&M softball headed south to Clearwater, Florida to participate in the Clearwater Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Aggies started off their Florida trek with wins over Wichita State and UCF on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The Aggies took on Oklahoma State and Virginia in a doubleheader, dropping the first game to OSU 5-6, then getting back in the win column, beating UVA in extra innings, 4-3.
The Aggies started the double header with a top-10 matchup against No. 10 Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls were coming off of a comeback win against Kentucky as they continued their now five-game win streak over the Aggies.
Senior pitcher Emiley Kennedy got things started for the Maroon and White in the circle with three shutout innings. After a couple of back-to-back hits, freshman right fielder Frankie Vrazel drove in senior catcher Olivia Johnson, putting the Aggies on the board first.
Batting eighth, senior center fielder Allie Enright headed up to the plate with Vrazel in scoring position. A base hit from the veteran sent Vrazel home, giving the Aggies a 3-0 cushion over the Cowgirls.
Redshirt junior designated player Michaela Wark had the Cowgirls on the board after a sacrifice fly sent sophomore second baseman Rosie Davis home. The Cowgirls continued to chip away in the bottom of the fourth with a base hit down the right field line from graduate left fielder Rachael Hathoot, driving in sophomore first baseman Karli Godwin to the plate, putting the Cowgirls within one.
Senior LF Kramer Eschete got the Aggies back on track late in the sixth with an RBI, sending Johnson to score and giving the Aggies their second three-run lead of this game.
The Cowgirls headed into the bottom of the 7th down three runs, but as they say, it’s never over until it’s over.
With two outs and two runners on, Davis hit a deep ball out to right center, clearing the bases and putting the Orange and Black within one run to tie. Godwin stepped up to the plate with the tying run in scoring position but decided to hit a bomb out to left field for a two-run home run, walking it off for the Cowgirls.
After a disappointing loss, the Aggies kept their heads up as they took on Virginia shortly after for the second half of the double header. Sophomore P Sidne Peters took the mound for her fifth start this season, not recording a single loss despite some close calls.
The Cavaliers got out on an early 2-0 run after a double from junior utility player Mary Caroline Eaton early in the first, allowing junior INF Jade Hylton to score. A sacrifice fly out to left field sent senior OF Kelly Ayer home, giving the Cavaliers a two-run cushion.
With the bases loaded, the Aggies began to chip away with a deep sacrifice fly to left field from Eschete, allowing Enright to tag and make it home, putting A&M on the board and within one run to tie the game.
Junior INF Amari Harper started off the sixth inning strong with a double, putting her in scoring position for sophomore 1B Mya Perez. Perez was battling an 0-2 count against fifth-year P Savanah Henley, before she hit the ball down the right field line, sending Harper to the plate and giving the Aggies a new start by tying the game at two.
The Maroon and White headed to extra innings for the first time this season and scored early, thanks to a deep base hit from senior shortstop Koko Wooley, allowing freshman C DeeDee Baldwin to go to home plate for the Aggies’ first lead of the game. Perez came up big once again, driving in Wooley for another A&M run.
The Cavaliers had three more outs to close the gap and extend the game, but they came up short, even after a double from sophomore INF Bella Cabral put them within one. Freshman P Kate Munnerlyn secured the win for the Aggies with a strikeout, stranding two Cavaliers on base in her first appearance of the season
A&M closes out the Clearwater Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 16 against Charlotte at 8 a.m, before heading into the JoAnne Graf Classic next weekend.
