After an upset win against No. 14 Oregon in the first game of the Campbell/Cartier Classic on Friday, Feb. 16. Texas A&M softball continued its six-game win streak against San Diego State, outlasting the Aztecs 7-5 with six different players scoring in the frenzy.
The bats were flying early for the Maroon and White, as junior SS Koko Wooley slammed the first pitch of the evening into deep center field to earn a leadoff triple. Senior C Julia Cottrill then sent Wooley home with a sacrifice fly to right field that put A&M on the board first.
The Aztecs did not hesitate to respond as junior 2B Micaela Macario hit a leadoff single to start her team’s bottom of the second. Macario then took advantage of unsuspecting junior RHP Emily Leavitt and stole second base before the official ended the play.
SDSU kept Leavitt on her toes as junior LF Bella Espinoza bunted to push Macario further to third. Junior 1B Mac Barbara then singled to right field for an RBI as Macario reached home.
Leavitt stayed composed and retired the next two batters to wiggle out of the sticky situation, ending the inning tied 1-1.
The Aggies returned to the plate with vengeance led by junior RF Allie Enright, who singled to third base after junior LF Keely Willams was walked at the start of the lineup.
Everything went wrong for the Aztecs in the next play as senior 2B Rylen Wiggins reached third on a throwing error while Enright and Williams rounded the bases to score. Wooley followed with a bunt and the Aztecs chose to tag Wiggins out at home.
Senior 3B Kennedy Powell continued the offense with a well-placed RBI double down the left field line to allow Wooley to score, pushing the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second.
Cottrill tried to keep the scoring alive with a single to right field, but Powell was caught at home before she could earn a run.
After a quick and quiet visit to the plate, the Aztecs headed back to the field with a pitching change from senior RHP Cassidy West to freshman RHP Cece Cellura. However, the change did not prove effective as senior CF Jazmine Hill singled and senior 1B Trinity Cannon walked.
Willams followed up with a single to right field, loading the bases for the Maroon and White. Another fielding error by the Aztecs led to Hill scoring her first of the night while Willams was caught out before she could follow, ending the top of the third.
Going into the fourth, A&M made a pitching change with Leavitt coming out for graduate RHP Shaylee Ackerman, leading to another lackluster offensive effort from SDSU.
The Aztecs found life in their bats in the bottom of the fourth after a single by junior C Cali Decker to right field and a double to center field by senior RF Makena Brocki. Sophomore 3B Angie Yellen followed up her teammates with a groundout to Wooley, pushing Decker home to score for the Aztecs with A&M still leading, 5-2.
After both defenses each left one stranded on base in the fifth inning, the sixth kicked off with Cellura knocking off two Aggie batters before hitting Powell with a pitch.
Cottrill earned her third hit of the night on a double to left-center field, pushing Powell into scoring position on third base.
Freshman OF Scout Lovell switched with Cottrill to pinch-run before Cannon singled to plate a pair of runs, as Lovell scored her second run this season. Powell also rounded the bases for her first run of the game, extending the A&M lead to 7-2.
Graduate LHP Brooke Vestal took hold of the reins in the sixth and later almost let the Aztecs back in the game.
In the bottom of the seventh after giving up a walk to Espinoza, Vestal allowed Barbara to knock a pitch past the fence for a two-run home run. After this SDSU breath of life, Maroon and White head coach Trisha Ford pulled Vestal and brought in graduate LHP Emiley Kennedy to close out the night.
Kennedy showed her experience and patience in finishing out the game, effectively retiring the last two Aztecs by a groundout and a flyout.
The Aggies will continue the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 17 with a doubleheader against Loyola Marymount at 12 p.m. and a rematch against SDSU at 5 p.m.
