No. 15 Texas A&M softball celebrated Military Appreciation Day against Louisiana Tech on Wednesday, March 4. After a sour start to the Texas A&M Invitational, the Aggies finished the weekend strong on a three-game win streak. In only five innings, the Maroon and White added to that momentum, securing a 9-1 run-rule victory over the Bulldogs.
Only 10 minutes into the game, A&M didn’t waste any time getting the scoring started. After two lead-off flyouts near the warning track, junior first baseman Mya Perez took matters into her own hands, giving the Aggies a quick 1-0 lead.
Perez launched her third offering 279 feet past the outfield wall, securing her ninth home run of the season.
“Mya’s home run in the first inning was one of the hardest hit balls I’ve seen in a while,” head coach Trisha Ford said.
Perez wasn’t the only Aggie to get started quickly against the Bulldogs. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Sydney Lessentine fought through five innings, making a solo stand in the circle for A&M, knocking down six straight batters to start the game.
“I don’t have a lot to complain about,” Ford said. “From top to bottom, I thought we got some production, which was key. We’re getting more and more comfortable. I think early in the year, I was probably going too offensive heavy. Now, I think we’ve tied up and have a good balance.”
The Maroon and White made the most of their third-inning opportunities, taking advantage of the Bulldogs’ pitching woes.
After a lead-off walk from senior RHP Allie Floyd, Louisiana Tech found itself in a defensive hole, already having allowed a run and with a pair of Aggies in scoring position and only a single out. To make matters worse, the first-inning legend herself, Perez, stepped into the batter’s box.
All too familiar with Perez’s firepower, the Bulldogs wanted nothing to do with a home run repeat. The California native took a free ride to first base, bringing senior designated player Micaela Wark up to bat. What seemed like a smart play by Louisiana Tech turned out to be a massive mistake.
Wark sent a ball smashing into the side of the West Campus Player Development Center, advancing A&M’s advantage to five.
Louisiana Tech walked four batters in Wednesday’s outing, all of which led to A&M runs.
“It’s a game of momentum,” Ford said. “We’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities. For us, we can’t chase. When we chase, bad things happen. We hunt strikes over the plate. We’re on time for them, and we do damage.”
For the frames that followed, Lessentine refused to let up, allowing only a single run through the course of the game. Bringing down her 2.53 ERA, the New Mexico native secured a pair of strikeouts and only allowed four hits.
In the bottom of the fifth, A&M had a single runner on base with two outs already recorded. With a seemingly-inevitable sixth inning on the horizon, fans began to make their way up the concourse to stretch, take a bathroom break, then return for the rest of the game. However, as sophomore center fielder Kelsey Mathis stepped up to bat, she decided that it was time to go home.
With one swing of the bat, Mathis doubled to center field, starting a chain reaction. The Aggies went 3-for-3 with their final three at-bats, as sophomore right fielder Frankie Vrazel followed suit with a double of her own.
“If one thing doesn’t work, let’s just do the next,” Vrazel said. “I had tried to bunt the pitch before because I saw the defense, but that didn’t work out. I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to nail this ball,’ and that’s exactly what I did.”
To end the game in dominant fashion, senior third baseman Kennedy Powell singled to left field, putting just enough juice on the ball for Vrazel to head home and seal the 9-1 run-rule victory.
A&M will travel to San Marcos for a doubleheader against in-state foes, Tarleton State and Texas State, on Friday, March 6. The Maroon and White will face off against the Texans at 11 a.m. at Bobcat Softball Stadium and will continue play in the San Marcos Showdown against the Bobcats at 4 p.m.
