No. 5 Texas A&M softball swept victory through Davis Diamond with a 12-0 win against George Washington on Friday, Feb. 28. Sporting new all-maroon uniforms, the Aggies continued their win streak while celebrating three unforgettable home runs and a no-hitter.
A&M came out swinging, bruising the Revolutionaries with bat-to-ball cannon fire. Junior third baseman Kennedy Powell lit the fuse with a solid hit to second, sprinting through first and launching for the second base bag. Powell advanced to third on graduate designated player Mac Barbara’s ground out, bouncing on her toes as sophomore first baseman Maya Perez stepped into the batter’s box.
Perez’s cleats scratched at the ground as she took her stance, lifting her bat and eyeing the softball revolving in the pitcher’s right hand. Perez swung, her bat marrying the ball in sweet symphony, sending it tunneling 275 ft up center field at 78 mph and arching over both the wall and a ducking cameraman posted on the video stand.
The 12th Man rose in a tsunami of maroon and white as Powell and Perez rounded home plate, earning two runs for the Aggies less than 18 minutes into play.
George Washington stumbled into the top of the second with feet dragging and stomachs uneasy as they faced off freshman pitcher Sydney Lessentine at the mound. She kept the Revolutionaries’ line-up guessing with various change-ups, succeeding in outing many with pitches dropping to 51 mph. By the middle of the third inning, five of the seven George Washington outs were strikeouts looking.
The bottom of the fourth came crashing around the corner, with A&M swiftly collecting three consecutive GW outs at the bat. Senior catcher Olivia Johnson kicked off the maroon-dominated inning with a walk to first after George Washington graduate P Anna Reed failed to produce a tricky pitch. Freshman right fielder Frankie Vrazel’s presence in the batter’s box seemed to still the atmosphere, a pause in the evening breeze foretelling her memorable contribution to the A&M victory.
Buff and blue threw the pitch, the ball rolling fast off the fingertips and bulleting for Vrazel’s active swing. With gritted teeth, the Aggie freshman smoked the softball 229 ft over a downhearted defense at 72 mph for the second home run of the night and first of her career.
“I call her my razzle-dazzle,” A&M coach Trisha Ford said. “And look at her, she’s just doing a tremendous job.”
Following Vrazel’s celebratory hit, senior center fielder Allie Enright and senior short stop Koko Wooley were walked, landing Enright on second and Wooley on first when Powell brought her bat to the box. George Washington took a moment to substitute junior P Chloe Greene for Reed at the mound in a fatal attempt to turn the game on its head.
Powell tripled to right center, pouncing on bag after bag and advancing to third in a single run as Revolutionary gloves seemed to grasp everything but the ball. Junior pinch hitter Amari Harper pinch hit for A&M’s Barbara, targeting the underside of the ball and clearing the air as she gunned safely for second base and sent Powell prancing home for the Aggies’ seventh run.
Though A&M had two outs hanging over their heads, George Washington continued to be caught in an Aggie avalanche as the home run hitter Perez walked to first and sophomore pinch runner Hailey Golden relieved Perez of her duties with nothing but victory on her mind. The marathon of a fourth inning continued as senior catcher Olivia Johnson was walked and freshman infielder KK Dement swung at phantom balls as she strode for the box.
With the bases loaded, George Washington shifted uncomfortably on sore heels as Dement swiveled with her entire body and slapped the battered softball over right center in an ear-splitting grand slam. Davis Diamond shook as the 12th Man roared like an unleashed zoo, Aggie supporters whistling their support as the scoreboard read in favor of the Fighting’ Farmers, 11-0.
Needing one more out to wrap up the fourth, George Washington switched Greene for sophomore P Sophia Torreso with the dire hope of plunging the game into an inning of miracles. However, new home-hitter Vrazel was happy to continue A&M’s show-stopping streak with a single to shortstop and a safe foot on first. Junior pinch hitter Kylei Griffin hit for Enright, dropping to first and propelling Vrazel to second.
A&M’s Eschete was up next, drilling the ball over third base and darting for first as Vrazel scored her second run of the game. Wooley stepped up, swinging and stamping a foot on the bag milliseconds before the ball thundered into the first baseman’s hungry glove. Once again the bases were loaded with Aggies, their sights set on adding to the ten runs collected in the fourth inning alone. But it remained only in their sights, evading their reach when sophomore outfielder Scout Lovell swung into the Aggies’ third out.
A&M hurriedly approached the top of the fifth inning by substituting Enright in for Griffen to cover center field. George Washington’s defeat was set up as sophomore OF Paige Hayward earned an out with a pop fly out to second base, chased by sophomore IF Cadence Gilliland’s ground out. In a final Revolutionary play, graduate IF Lilly Travieso pinch hit for freshman IF Emi Todoroki.
The Davis Diamond crowd was on the edge of their seats as the final pitch was thrown and Travieso stuck out swinging, sealing the deal for the Aggies, 12-0.
Texas A&M softball is free to dream of their dramatic win against George Washington tonight but must wake up ready to play Texas Tech on March 1 at Davis Diamond.
