With two outs and one on base, freshman Baylee Klingler knocked a two-run homer–the first of her career–to left field in the bottom of the fifth to give Texas A&M softball its first lead of the three-game series against No. 10 Louisiana State University on Sunday.
Klingler said that as soon as she hit the pitch, she knew it was over the fence.
“My first thought is, ‘I can’t wait to get to home plate,’” Klingler said. “Those girls fire me up so much. I was so happy.”
The Aggies held onto that lead through one more inning to beat their ranked Southeastern Conference opponent and go 1-2 in the series.
Setting up Klingler’s rocket and securing A&M’s rally was senior Riley Sartain, who knocked a two-run double down the left foul line to put A&M within one.
Sartain said that the difference in her game on Sunday, compared to the two prior, was her willingness to attack pitches.
“It’s not about being as comfortable as you want to be,” Sartain said. “It’s about grinding it out and finding a way to make something happen.”
Junior Kendall Potts had a clutch performance on the mound for A&M, pitching the final 4.1 innings and only allowing one hit and one run. Potts said she credits Thursday’s assigned reading in her sports psychology class for her performance on Sunday.
“The chapter was on how to get in the zone and stay in the zone,” Potts said. “I used that as much as I could and it definitely helped.”
Like in Friday’s matchup, the Aggies got off to a quick start, ending the first inning tied 2-2, but struggled until the fifth.
Facing a bases loaded situation with two outs in the bottom of the first, Payton McBride stepped up to the plate. The junior pitcher then knocked out a right-side single that slipped through the hands of the Tiger defenders and allowed Sartain and junior Kelbi Fortenberry to tie the game at 2-2.
McBride was also A&M’s starting pitcher, allowing five hits and four runs in 2.2 innings.
The Aggies’ hot offensive start didn’t last long, however, as the second, third, and fourth innings saw three quick outs for A&M.
LSU sophomore Shelbi Sunseri continued her assault on A&M, with one hit and three RBIs on the night. Aliyah Andrews led the Tigers in runs with two, also recording a hit.
With the win, the Aggies move to 16-8 in the regular season, and 1-2 against Southeastern Conference opponents.
A&M head coach Jo Evans said this win was necessary for the team and will give A&M confidence moving forward.
“We had to be able to see what it looks like to fight,” Evans said. “We had to see what it looks like to be able to come from behind a top 10 team in the country, in the SEC.”
The Aggies will host Sam Houston State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday before returning to SEC action against Auburn on Friday.