In a game featuring five Aggies that don’t see the batters box often, opportunities were plentiful for No. 5 Texas A&M softball on Friday against Loyola Marymount. 

“It means a lot,” sophomore pinch hitter Haley Golden said. “I just try to take what I can get and these opportunities are limited, so I just try to do what I can with them.”

The Aggies got off to a wet start as they kicked off the non-conference weekend slate against the Lions. After hours of precipitation that felt like would never end, the Aggies secured the first game after battling through five innings, ultimately winning in run-rule fashion 13-1.

Before the first LMU batter could even reach the base, weather conditions were already factoring in as star freshman second baseman KK Dement slipped on the wet dirt as she attempted the easy out to first. 

Senior catcher Olivia Johnson prevented the Lions from breaking the scoring seal in the first at home plate with a long throw and catch from junior right fielder Amari Harper, which prompted a review request from the LMU coaching staff. After the unsuccessful call by the Lions, senior left hand pitcher Emiley Kennedy would strand one on base with a strikeout that sent her defense back to the dugout. 

Early circle woes plagued freshman right hand pitcher Jessica Hubbard in her first appearance as she allowed two free bases to the Fightin’ Farmers and a run to junior third baseman Kennedy Powell after senior designated player Mac Barbara grounded out to first for the RBI. A sacrifice flyout pushed the score to an early 2-0 A&M lead into the second. 

In an interesting turn of events, the experienced Kennedy hit two straight Lions batters with her pitch before coach Trisha Ford called a circle visit to calm her ace-in-the-hole down. 

“I just actually went out and talked to her a little bit mechanically,” Ford said. “So I just told her to work on feeling her wrist action on those drop balls and to just kind of rely on her defense. So it was really more of a very business-like conversation.” And that’s the same thing I told her in the fifth, like, ‘Hey, you’re getting angry at yourself. We know that this doesn’t go down the right road so let’s, you know, go back to being a surgeon, spin the ball and work your zones.’”

The conversation worked for the lefty as Kennedy would deliver a strikeout to end any momentum LMU had in the inning. She totaled seven strikeouts, gave up three hits and one run in another masterclass performance. 

Johnson sent the bubbles flying throughout Davis in the bottom of the second with a straight beam shot sent past the left field wall for her second home run of the season. 

After a break in the top of the third, the Aggie offense got back to business in the bottom of the inning with a lead off double to center field by Harper. Hubbard tried to halt things with a 39-mile-per-hour slowball until she was pulled in favor of freshman RHP Angela Carrera, who in turn allowed a bases-loaded situation.  

Senior center fielder Allie Enright took advantage with a single RBI down the middle, then in a wild play that saw Dement reach on a fielder’s choice, LMU almost succeeded in getting a double play if it weren’t for excellent base running skills by senior shortstop Koko Wooley. 

An error from freshman SS Sakora Harvel led to another two Aggie runs as the score became lopsided going into the top of the fourth, 6-0.

Among those who would extend the growing lead to 13-0, freshman pinch hitter Frankie Vrazel made her return to the box with a single run RBI double hit, freshman PH Deedee Baldwin had a sacrifice fly for her own RBI and Golden had a two run RBI swing.

“Golden has primarily been a pinch runner, but that kid, she’s somebody that really has helped this program behind the scenes,” Ford said. “When you talk about as a coach players that have an impact on your program that you don’t see in the stat line. That’s the definition of Haley Golden. She holds our standard in the locker room. She’s a great teammate, good academically [and] works her tail off every day.”

After changes in the lineup, both on the field and in the dugout, the Aggies secured the win after giving up just one run in the bottom of the fifth, 13-1. 

LMU will have another chance to even the record in the second game at Davis Diamond on Saturday at 4 pm.