After a 2-1 series loss over the weekend, the Texas A&M softball team lines up for a midweek visit from Lamar on Wednesday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The No. 23 Aggies (32-12, 8-7 SEC) fell 2-1 in their previous series against No. 6 Auburn. The pitching was inconsistent all weekend, but a bright spot in the circle was freshman Kayla Ober, who took over on Friday after Auburn tattooed senior Rachel Fox for seven runs in three innings.
Head coach Jo Evans praised Ober and her ability to come into a tough situation and perform well.
“I thought she was terrific,” Evans said. “She’s effective because she keeps the ball down and she’s not afraid to throw strikes to hitters. I’m pleased with what I saw, it was exactly what I anticipated. I thought she’d be effective against Auburn and she went out and did a good job. We always talk about being ready for your opportunities and after what she did tonight … we know we can put her out there. She wasn’t intimidated at all by them and she made good plays defensively.”
The Cardinals (21-19, 12-6 Southland) got off to a rocky start to their season, losing eight of their first 11 games. They have since begun to turn their season around by winning seven of their next eight.
The Cardinals are led on the circle by Laura Napoli, who leads the team with 17 complete games and 15 wins. The No. 2 starter for Lamar is Lauren Dannelley, who has only pitched a total of 74 innings this season compared to Napoli’s 154.
Lamar sports a balanced offense, with six of its players driving in at least 20 runs this season. Junior Stephanie Meeuwsen leads the club with a .381 batting average and senior Casey Cromwell is not too far behind with a .356 average.
The Aggies are projected to send senior Rachel Fox to the circle on Wednesday. Fox has pitched admirably this season with an 18-9 record and a team-high 17 complete games. Junior Katie Marks has been an excellent complement to Fox, posting an 11-1 record of her own.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.