After an impressive weekend at home against No. 2 Alabama and a midweek win against Lamar, Texas A&M struggled to connect on offense, resulting in its second loss to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, April 30 in Columbia, Mo., in a 2-7 deficit.
The momentum began in the Tigers’ favor when they scratched the first run of the game on the board in the first inning. The Aggies failed to reply in the second, leaving both sophomore catcher Mayce Allen and freshman shortstop Koko Wooley on base. Missouri extended its lead in the third inning when Tiger fifth-year deputy player Kimberly Wert hit a three-RBI home run off freshman pitcher Emiley Kennedy, quickly followed by two walks. Sophomore pitcher Grace Uribe came in to relieve halfway through the inning. Uribe gave away a single to bring the Tiger lead to 5-0 by the end of the inning.
The A&M defense was revived in the fourth inning when Uribe managed to sit the Tigers down. However, the maroon and white still couldn’t find momentum on offense, leaving senior right fielder Morgan Smith on base with the fourth hit of the game for the Aggies. Missouri drilled into the Aggies once more with its second homer of the game, bringing two Tigers home and their lead up 7-0.
A&M got its first run on the board in the sixth inning with a bomb from freshman left fielder and deputy player Katie Dack, marking her fourth-straight game with a home run. Dack became the first Aggie to do so since Mel Dumezich in 2012.
Coach Jo Evans said Dack is growing impressively on both offense and defense.
“I’m really happy for her,” Evans said. “Katie [Dack] is becoming such a smart hitter and understanding what pitchers are going to throw and what she can hit well. Defensively, she did a nice job for us in left field today. I love the kid because she is so excited to play, and she loves playing the game.”
The maroon and white made their final stand in the seventh inning with a hit from Smith that sent senior first baseman Haley Lee charging home to add another run on the board. Dack was walked onto first, putting two Aggies on base to score, but A&M’s comeback was cut short with a line out from senior deputy player and pitcher Makinzy Herzog, settling the game in favor of the Tigers, 7-2.
The Aggies cycled through three pitchers throughout the seven innings, combining for seven earned runs and only four strikeouts. Smith extended her reached base streak to 21-straight games, accounting for four of the seven hits of the night. The loss moves A&M to 27-20 in its season and 5-15 in the SEC. Missouri moved up to a 31-17 record, with 10-9 in the conference.
Evans said Smith’s ability to put pressure on the Tigers with her performance shows her prowess.
“Missouri was up by five runs, there is two outs and Morgan [Smith] is at the plate and a meeting is called in the circle to talk about what needs to be thrown to get her out,” Evans said. “To have to call a timeout and talk about Morgan tells you about what she’s been doing to them offensively. I thought she was phenomenal today, and she’s been so good all year long and consistent for us.”
The Aggies close out their series with the Tigers with their third game on Sunday, May 1 at 1 p.m.
