The Texas A&M softball team closed out the Reveille Classic on Sunday with a 6-3 win over the Kansas Jayhawks.
In the bottom of the first, senior first baseman Payton McBride singled, scoring sophomore designated player Makinzy Herzog. Both teams then remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, where senior centerfielder Kelbi Fortenberry hit a triple, prompting freshman shortstop Jourdyn Campbell to run home. Junior second baseman Ashlynn Walls then posted an RBI, scoring Fortenberry.
The Jayhawks could not answer in the top of the fifth, but the Aggies did not relent. In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore rightfielder Morgan Smith shot a homerun over the left field wall.
Aggie head coach Jo Evans said she was happy with Smith’s performance.
“I thought it was a beautiful at bat,” Evans said. “When you can, within an at-bat, make adjustments like she made… you know you’re doing something right.”
Following this, McBride doubled, with sophomore outfielder Madi Jatzlau pinch running for her.
McBride said she had a plan going into her at-bat.
“Just going up there and having a plan of what she was going to throw me,” McBride said. “And sticking with that plan and not changing it at my bat.”
Campbell then hit a single, letting Jatzlau run to home plate, making it 5-0.
The Jayhawks answered in the top of the sixth with one runner on base as redshirt sophomore infielder Sydnee Ramsey homered.
In the bottom of the sixth the Aggies returned with an RBI groundout from Herzog, scoring redshirt freshman outfielder Kyndall Murray. The Jayhawks did not give up, and had a home run in the top of the seventh from senior infielder Becki Monaghan.
That was all for the Jayhawks, as the Aggies held them to just that homerun in the top of the seventh. This concluded the game 6-3 for the Aggies.
Aggie junior Kayla Poynter started off in the pitching circle.
“I really changed my mentality this year,” Poynter said. “To focus on each pitch and not focus on anything else.”
Poynter had three strikeouts, one walk, and allowed seven hits and three runs. She did not retire until after the home run in the top of the seventh, where she was replaced by sophomore Hannah Mayo. Mayo posted one strikeout, one walk, allowed one hit and zero runs.
Next up for the Aggies will be an away three-game series against the University of Kentucky. The first game starts on Saturday at 1 p.m.