Sometimes, the hardest part about a fall isn’t hitting the ground, but getting back up. After taking a hard hit from Weber State in the first of back-to-back games, Texas A&M persevered to defeat Loyola Marymount.
Coach Jo Evans said the victory against the Lions was a needed experience.
“LMU is a really good ball club,” Evans said. “They’ve got good pitching, and the fact we could chase their starting pitcher in the first inning was big for us. That’s a good win for us.”
In the first match against Weber State, the Aggies looked strong defensively, only allowing two runs and no errors. In the circle, junior pitcher and left fielder Shaylee Ackerman pitched for 4.1 innings and finished with three hits and six strikeouts, one shy of a personal best. Ackerman was relieved by senior designated player and pitcher Makinzy Herzog, who stacked zero hits and four strikeouts.
Despite their fortitude on defense, the maroon and white struggled to put it together on offense. The only score came from redshirt freshman pinch-runner Alexis Tippit in her career debut following a walk by senior first baseman Haley Lee to get on base. Overall, A&M struggled in the hitting game with 23 at-bats and only one hit. The Wildcats took advantage and came out on top 2-1.
The Aggies revived themselves in the match against LMU, showing prowess on defense and offense. Senior right fielder Morgan Smith hit a two-run shot in the first inning to put the Aggies ahead. LMU came back with two runs of their own in the second, but sophomore pitcher Grace Uribe held them for the rest of her 5.1 innings. Sophomore third baseman Trinity Cannon grabbed a run herself and became the team leader in bases reached with a 12-game record. The maroon and white secured the win with an RBI single from sophomore second baseman Rylen Wiggins. The Aggies had eight hits off the Lions and took advantage to finish 4-2.
Evans said a shift in strategy led to the shift in offensive power.
“I was really pleased with how we responded in the second game,” Evans said. “I was not happy with our hitting in Game 1, but for us to come out and get our kids’ heads right and to be aggressive was good to see. It was a completely different approach and experience for us. We needed that.”
A&M will continue in the Judi Garman Classic with a doubleheader against Utah and No. 5 UCLA at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, in Fullerton, Calif.