Plagued by pitching troubles, Texas A&M softball fell in a five-inning 8-0, game two shutout to the University of Missouri on Friday to drop to a five-game losing streak.
A&M freshman pitcher Hannah Mayo got the start on the mound, walking four and allowing six runs on four hits.
In the circle for Missouri, sophomore pitcher Cassie Gasper gave the Aggies grief as she allowed only four hits on the night.
Freshman infielder Baylee Klingler notched the first hit of the night, coming in third on A&M’s lineup to be the sole Aggie on base in the first inning.
Two walked batters in the first helped Missouri get off to a fast start. After freshman Jazmyn Rollin reached first due to a fielder’s choice, an error at first base allowed her to score. A two-run single by sophomore Kara Decker followed to give the Tigers the early 3-0 lead.
A&M continued to struggle offensively in the second inning as the Aggies got only one batter on base when senior Riley Sartain was hit by a pitch.
The Tigers continued their dominance in the second, quickly loading the bases as freshman Kendyll Bailey opened with a single to center field. Sophomore Callie Martin then got on base via a walk, with sophomore Brooke Wilmes notching a single to put the Tigers in scoring position with no outs.
A&M’s pitching troubles came to a head as Mayo walked senior Regan Nash to give Bailey the unearned run. Junior Payton McBride then replaced Mayo on the mound as the Tigers took a 4-0 lead.
The pitching change didn’t show an immediate effect though, as Rollin continued her dominance over the Aggies with an RBI single to put another run on the board for the Tigers. Three runs followed to give the Tigers an 8-0 lead over A&M at the end of the second inning.
Mayo entered the circle again in the third inning, this time to a much different result. The Tigers only managed one hit — their last of the game — as A&M came up with a double play to end the inning.
A&M’s offense attempted to kick off a rally in the fourth, notching two hits to place freshman Madi Jatzlau on third, though she was unable to score as the Aggies took the 8-0 loss in Columbia.
The first pitch of the series finale is set for 12 p.m. Saturday, with the game streaming on SEC Network+.