Following a Friday loss to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, Texas A&M softball looked for redemption at the Sunday, Feb. 27 rematch and faced a new opponent in the Texas Southern Tigers in a doubleheader to wrap the Reveille Classic tournament.
Energy started high, as players returned to a once-again sunny Davis Diamond, and sophomore pitcher and outfielder Grace Uribe led the dugout in Aggie yells. Freshman pitcher Emiley Kennedy had a slow start on the mound, walking two of the first three at-bats, but ramped up to secure six strikeouts in the matchup, pitching for all seven innings.
“I thought that Emiley [Kennedy] handled herself really well … About the fourth inning, when they put that pressure on, a couple on [base], and no outs, she threw three outs,” A&M coach Jo Evans said. “She just got big right there. I’ve seen her throw well, I’ve seen her have a good presence, but at that moment she didn’t look like a freshman at all. I’m really proud of that kid; I think she’s got a really bright future.”
With quick feet, freshman shortstop Koko Wooley opened the Aggies’ batting with a single and made quick work to steal second during the next at-bat. With a single from senior pitcher Makinzy Herzog and a walk for senior right fielder Morgan Smith, bases were loaded as sophomore third baseman Trinity Cannon stepped to the plate with two outs.
After a close call at home plate, Wooley was tagged out, ending the third inning and effectively shutting out the Aggies’ scoring for the rest of the game. Even still, Evans said she was proud of this rematch.
“In both games we played [OSU], we gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game in the end,” Evans said. “That’s what a coach expects, to put us in the position to win the ball game, and we did that. [Sophomore] Macey Allen went in and had a great at-bat. Katie Dack, she’s a freshman, and that was a big moment for her. We have to put those youngsters in those positions so they’re ready down the stretch.”
The game ended quickly after three consecutive outs from the Cowgirls in the final half inning. Though the Aggies fell 2-1 to the Cowgirls, their second loss of the weekend and season, Evans said she was proud of the team’s ability to keep its spirits high, even as it went into the second game of the day.
“My message to the team was we absolutely have to get right back out there and be professional, and don’t take anything for granted,” Evans said. “First of all, I think it’d be really disrespectful to our opponents to take it for granted, but it’s a tough loss. Our team expects the win, we expected to beat Oklahoma State, but I was really proud of the way our kids came out and just took over the game in the first inning.”
This loss did not dampen the maroon and white’s energy coming into the second game of the doubleheader, against the Texas Southern Tigers, best shown by eight runs earned in the bottom of the first inning, with 12 at-bats for the Aggies. Senior first baseman Haley Lee managed a double and a single during her two at-bats, keeping team energy, and score, high.
Evans said she credits this high scoring to the players’ focus and professionalism during at-bats.
“The nice thing was those were hits and walks; we stepped up and were really disciplined in the strike zone,” Evans said. “They didn’t make errors, they just went out and played the game. I just liked our approach at the plate. We could’ve been careless … but we were really professional and had a handle on that first inning.”
As a result of this starting success, the game ended halfway through the fifth inning with a final score of 9-1.
Later this week, the Aggies hit the road to Fullerton, Calif., for the Judi Garman Classic to face off against five schools beginning on Friday, March 4.
