Advancing to a four game win streak, the Texas A&M softball team combines for 14 runs to defeat Longwood and Lamar in the second day of the A&M Invitational at Davis Diamond.
The Aggies took on the Lamar Cardinals in the first game of the day, playing their first full seven inning game of the tournament. The two teams when back-and-forth in the first and second inning after earning two runs each.
In the fourth, A&M and Lamar would tie again after A&M’s outfielder Kelbi Fortenberry made an error off a base hit — causing Lamar’s sophomore outfielder Shannon Klaus and sophomore infielder and outfielder Elizabeth Castillo to return home.
To answer back, the Aggies’ junior outfielder Blake-Ann Fritsch reached home on two errors by the Cardinals, and earned another run with a base hit by sophomore catcher and first baseman Abby Smith on a bases loaded situation. The Aggies pulled ahead in the fifth with two runs and again in the sixth with four runs to solidify the victory.
A&M head coach Jo Evans said, compared to the second matchup, the game against Lamar was a fight to the finish.
“I thought the first game felt like a grind,” Evans said. “Sometimes you have those games, where you expect to win. We got a little on our heels in the first inning. Kendall Potts got in some trouble and then it was a grind to get ourselves out.”
Fortenberry led the Aggies offensively in both appearances. She went 5-for-8 on the plate in total and had a career-high five RBIs with four of them against Lamar.
Another standout player for A&M was sophomore pitcher Kayla Poynter. Poynter secured a win on the mound against Longwood, recording 10 strikeouts, while allowing only one run and one hit in her first full game victory.
The Aggies got on the scoreboard early with one run in the second inning and two in the third. Longwood was unable to get past Poynter’s pitches and had a solo run on the fourth with a home run by senior catcher Kaylynn Batten.
Evans said Poynter showed variety in her pitches and this allowed her to take charge of the strike zone throughout the game.
“What she did well was throwing strikes on both sides of the plate,” Evans said. “When a pitcher can do that, it’s fun for the pitching coach who is calling pitches and setting up hitters. She attacked the strike zone early and she was able to throw her changeup for strikes. She was very effective…”
Poynter attributed her success on the mound to her ability to use her whole body when pitching.
“I’ve been working on using my legs more. The more I’ve been using my legs, the faster my pitches have been,” Poynter said.
The Aggies will close out the invitational with another game against A&M Corpus Christi on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.