The Texas A&M softball team led for most of Sunday’s series finale but ultimately fell 6-5 to No. 4 Florida with a walk-off home run by the Gators. Florida won Friday’s game in similar fashion.
This marks the second consecutive weekend of the Aggies being swept by their opponent, first by Kentucky, now by Florida.
This weekend’s series wrapped up the Aggies’ regular season. A&M finished 31-20 overall, 8-16 in conference play with A&M coach Jo Evans at the helm of the program for the 25th season.
The maroon and white started off the game with a collection of hits from juniors Haley Lee and Morgan Smith, freshman Bre Warren and senior Ashlynn Walls. The Aggies then took advantage of a walked batter and wild pitch that allowed A&M to take an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Another pair of hits from freshman Rylen Wiggins and junior Makinzy Herzog plated another in the fourth to extend the Aggies’ lead to four. This forced Florida to retire its starting pitcher and bring in Katie Chronister, who the Aggies struggled against on Friday.
A&M held the Gators scoreless until the fifth inning in which Florida managed to record a two-run home run followed by a hit that scored two more to tie the game at four.
Wiggins responded the following inning with her first career home run to give the Aggies a one-run lead.
The Aggies held Florida scoreless in the sixth but didn’t manage to accumulate any insurance runs in the top of the seventh before the Gators won the game with a walk-off, two-run home run.
A trio of Aggies took the mound for the series finale, with freshman Grace Uribe earning the start. Uribe held the Gators scoreless until Herzog was brought in as relief in the fourth. Herzog struck out one in the 1.1 innings pitched before senior Kayla Poynter was called upon to close out the game.
Sunday marked Florida’s sixth walk-off win of the season. Part of what makes the Gators so potent is their resiliency and late come-back wins. The series sweep over the Aggies earned Florida the No. 1 seed for the upcoming SEC Tournament.
The next time the Aggies take the field will be to compete in the SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A&M is the No. 10 seed and will take on No. 7 seed Tennessee on Wednesday, May 12 at Rhoads Stadium.