It wasn’t easy, but the Aggies did what any good team does this time of year: survive and advance.

The Texas A&M softball team didn’t have a productive day at the plate, but its two runs were just enough to squeak by with a 2-1 victory against Lehigh on day one of the Norman Regional. The Aggies will take on Oklahoma tomorrow afternoon.

Rachel Fox got the start for the Aggies (39-18) and did not disappoint. She kept the Lehigh batters off balance all day, going five strong innings and allowing one run off of a sac fly in the fourth inning before Katie Marks took over and finished the game.

The Aggies had a couple of early opportunities to push runs across, beginning in the third inning when April Ryan and Cali Lanphear both reached base with singles, but couldn’t get across the plate. After Lehigh took the lead in the fourth with a sac fly, freshman Kristen Cuyos drove a pitch over the right field fence to tie the game with her ninth home run of the season.

The Aggies began another rally in the fifth with a perfectly placed bunt from speedy senior Brittany Clopton and a subsequent single from Tori Vidales to place runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt from April Ryan moved both runners into scoring position. After a walk from Breanna Dozier loaded the bases, the Aggies took their first lead of the game with an RBI single from freshman Ashley Walters. The Aggies had to withstand a late rally in the seventh from the Mountain Hawks, placing runners with two outs, but Katie Marks got the Aggies one final out and the win.
First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.