Though the Aggies trailed Abilene Christian 3-1 in the first inning on Sunday, Texas A&M softball came back to win 10-6.
The Abilene Christian Wildcats came out swinging in the top of the first, with three runs. The Aggies answered with a single RBI from sophomore utility player Meagan Smith, allowing senior outfielder Kelbi Fortenberry to run home.
In the bottom of the third, Aggie sophomore catcher/utility player Haley Lee posted a single RBI, making the score 3-2. The Wildcats answered in the top of the fifth with a three-run RBI from senior catcher Blair Clayton. In the bottom of the fifth with bases loaded, freshman shortstop Jourdyn Campbell notched her first career grand slam, tying the game up at six.
Campbell was named player of the game, and said she wanted to help her team following her catching and base running errors.
“I need to help my team here,” Campbell said. “I’ve already kind of let it down a little bit and I need to come here and be big for my team.”
The Aggies were not done, with freshman pitcher/outfielder Shaylee Ackerman shooting a triple off the top of the wall, and getting to run home immediately following Campbell’s homerun.
Sophomore utility player Morgan Smith and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Makinzy Herzog each added homeruns of their own to help the Aggies to the 10-6 win at Davis Diamond to cap off the five-game Aggie Classic.
Head coach Jo Evans said she felt relieved and exhilarated following the fifth inning.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel relieved,” Evans said. “Of course exhilarating because our kids are so young and what I know about something like that is now we get to put that in our back pocket for the rest of the season.”
Following the eight runs earned by the Aggies in the bottom of the fifth, both teams remained scoreless the rest of the game, making it a 10-6 win for the Aggies.
Aggie freshman Ashley Daugherty started in the pitching circle but senior Kendall Potts was put in following the three runs from the Wildcats in the first inning. Following the three runs Abilene Christian earned in the top of the fifth inning, the Aggies put junior Kayla Poynter on the mound to finish out the game.
Overall, the Aggies went 3-2 in the Aggie Classic, with one win over UT-Arlington and two wins over Abilene Christian. Throughout the tournament, the Aggies’ most prominent errors were with catching and base running.
Evans said she is going to make base running a priority for the team.
“We’re going to work on base running a lot,” Evans said. “We’re going to get better, come hell or high water, we’re going to get better at base running.”
The Aggies will be back in action at 6 p.m. on Thursday night with their first regular game of the season against McNeese University at Davis Diamond.