The Aggies rectified a slow start to their first game of the day with a four-run fourth inning. Texas A&M softball’s second game against Binghamton, however, was a quick-scoring affair.
A&M came from behind in game one to top Lamar 7-4, while the Aggies got off to a 2-0 start in the first inning against Binghamton en route to a 10-2 win over the Bearcats.
At the top of the first inning of game one against Lamar, the Cardinals immediately loaded the bases with one walked, one hit by pitch and a reach on an Aggie error.
The Cardinals took advantage of the opportunity with a double by senior pitcher Jade Lewis that scored freshman infielder Hannah Kinkade and senior outfielder Shannon Klaus.
After a homerun by Kinkade in the top of the third for a 3-0 Lamar lead, junior pitcher Kayla Poynter replaced senior Payton McBride on the mound.
“We were really flat in the first game, specifically the first few innings,” A&M coach Jo Evans said. “We were passive, almost as if we were feeling sorry for ourselves. I was saying, ‘We need to turn this thing around, pick our heads up and go.’ Our kids really responded. We were hanging our heads at the beginning, but I said ‘Wait a minute. We’ve got seven innings here.’ We just keep learning about ourselves and making adjustments. I was really happy to see them respond after I got after them.”
Despite her struggles on the mound, McBride then helped kick off scoring for the Aggies with a double in the bottom of the fourth to score sophomore outfielder Madi Jatzlau.
A&M then loaded the bases as sophomore utility player Morgan Smith was hit by a pitch. With Smith, senior outfielder Blake-Ann Fritsch and freshman infielder Jourdyn Campbell on base, freshman outfielder Shaylee Ackerman singled to score Campbell. Junior infielder Ashlynn Walls then brought Fritsch home with a groundout.
A&M loaded the bases again as sophomore infielder Kayla Garcia was walked. Sophomore pitcher Makinzy Herzog was also walked, moving Smith across the plate to give A&M a 4-3 lead.
“Our kids did a really nice job of staying in that inning,” Evans said. “We kept passing the bat back, and we had good base running. We were putting pressure on them after they were starting to feel good about themselves. For us to score four and get the lead, I was really pleased with our kids.”
The Cardinals tied the game once more in the top of the fifth, but the Aggies weren’t done. To kick off the bottom of the six, Garcia hit a triple and scored on a hit from Herzog.
A&M added one more score to end the game with the 7-4 come-from-behind win as Fortenberry scored on a Lee single.
Lee and Walls led the Aggies in both games with four RBIs, and Herzog followed with three. The trio also each added a homerun against Binghamton.
“I told her, ‘I’m not sure you’re human,’” Evans said. “She’s feeling it. She’s a triple threat. She can drag bunt, beat out infield singles and hit balls to the wall. She does everything really well, and she does it with a calm presence. I think she’s going to get better in the outfield and on the mound.”
Lee’s homer kicked off scoring in the first inning of the Aggies’ second game of the day, bringing Herzog home and giving A&M a 2-0 lead.
Lee extended A&M’s lead in the third, again sending Herzog over the plate with a single. A three RBI homer from Walls in the third, a two RBI single from McBride and Herzog’s homer capped off the five-inning game against Binghamton with the 10-2 A&M win.
A&M will finish off the invitational with an 11:15 a.m. first pitch against St. John’s on Sunday.