Even after some sloppy play from the Aggies, they found a way to win.
The No. 22 Texas A&M softball team defeated the Houston Cougars 6-3 at the Aggie Softball Complex Wednesday night.
This victory has some retribution tied into it with the Aggies falling to the Cougars in Houston last April. Head Coach Jo Evans was pleased with the all-around performance of the club tonight.
“I’m always happy to get a win,” Evans said. “We had a lot of opportunities to put our opponent away early, but kind of let them hang around. I’m not going to bemoan a win. It’s always nice to get a win.”
A&M (13-4) got off to a hot start from the batter’s box in the second inning, with freshman Kristen Cuyos hitting a double down the left field line to put two players on base. Sophomore Reagan Boenker took full advantage of her opportunity, belting a home run on the first pitch she saw above the scoreboard in left field.
“I went up [to the batter’s box] knowing that I was going to be aggressive in my first at bat of the game,” Boenker said. “When that first pitch came, I just swung and hit it.”
The Cougars (7-12) rattled the Aggies shortly after, as A&M’s April Ryan and Cali Lanphear committed errors, allowing a runner to cross home plate plate. Lanphear redeemed herself with a two RBI single on the first pitch in the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, junior Selena Hernandez hit a similar double to the one that Cuyos hit a couple of innings prior that drew in another run for the Cougars, making it 6-2.
One more score was earned for Houston in the seventh inning, but senior pitcher Rachel Fox made sure there wasn’t a late rally. In what was a complete game by Fox, she credited her ability to close and keep composure to her teammates.
“It’s nice to have support,” Fox said. “With getting games under our belt, we can understand situations where the other team will bunt or slap at our infield. We’re only just going to get better.”
The Aggies continue play this weekend at the Texas A&M Invitational at the Aggie Softball Complex. This will be the final trio of non-conference games for the Aggies as they open up their SEC play the following weekend against Kentucky in College Station.