As a warm Friday afternoon was turning into a chilly night, No. 17 Texas A&M softball run-ruled St. Thomas and North Dakota State on Friday, Feb. 23.
Game 1
The Tommies took a 2-0 lead at the top of the first inning from junior SS Laken Lienhard homering into left field, sending her and sophomore CF Avery Wukawitz home for the two scores.
A&M’s outing in the first inning started with a single from junior SS Koko Wooley off of a bunt, and she was able to steal second base off of a ground out from sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell. Wooley then stole third base and walked home from a sacrifice fly thanks to senior catcher Julia Cottrill to make it 2-1.
“We came out, gave up two runs quickly, thought we responded well and just continued to play Aggie softball,” coach Trisha Ford said.
The Aggies weren’t done yet in the first, as senior 1B Trinity Cannon hit a double following Cottrill’s sacrifice fly. Senior CF Jazmine Hill took full advantage of the opportunity that was set for A&M and worked her magic as she homered it to send her and Cannon home to take the 3-2 lead for the Aggies.
After allowing a hit that became a home run in the first inning, junior RHP Emily Leavitt came in and struck out three Tommies in the second.
Up next in the second was the Maroon and White, and freshman DH Mya Perez was sent to first base off a fielder’s choice. Two more singles for the Aggies followed as senior 2B Rylen Wiggins and Wooley both singled to left field. Another sacrifice fly for A&M came from Powell, with Perez running home to make it 4-2 and Wiggins and Wooley advancing to second and third.
Two more scores pushed it to 6-2 for the Aggies followed as Cottril doubled into left-center field to send Wiggins and Wooley home. Cannon singled into left to send Cottrill home to make it 7-2 for A&M. The Maroon and White still had more in them in the second inning, as Hill homered for the second time in two innings propelling her and Cannon home for the sixth run of the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, junior RF Allie Enright doubled into right-center field to start things off for A&M. With Perez at bat, Enright stole third before Perez walked to first. For Perez came freshman OF Hailey Golden, who was able to steal second to set the Aggies up with a player on second and third base. A pop-up from Powell got Enright home to make it 10-2 at the end of the third inning.
A pitching change came in the fourth inning as Ford switched graduate LHP Shaylee Ackerman in for the rest of the game.
The fourth and fifth innings came with no scores. Two Tommies grounded out in the fourth and Ackerman struck out another pair in the fifth to end the game.
Game 2
In the first of the second game on the day against North Dakota State, junior LHP Emiley Kennedy went three up three down to go into the bottom with no runs, hits or errors and no one left on base.
Kennedy stepped back into the circle after her opposition RHP Madison Wihlm walked Cottrill.
Junior RF Chloe Woldruff doubled down the right field and attempted to run home on senior SS Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage’s single to center. Hill’s throw to Cottrill earned the third out at home plate.
Starting off on base from a walk, Hill scored on Enright’s double to right field. Wiggins stepped up to bat and grounded the pitch out to the Bison’s SS to end the second.
“That kid works,” Ford said. “This isn’t happening just because of luck. [Enright] puts in the work. She studies the game.”
Whilm was replaced in the circle by LHP Kaitlyn Dunford with Harper on first. Advancing on Powell’s single was Harper with Cottrill at bat. From three balls to a full count, Cottrill advanced to first on a fielder’s choice. No runs were counted as the third out rolled in at Cannon’s ground out.
Harper made a diving catch to get sophomore 2B Bella Dean out to start off the top of the fourth right. The Aggie defense pulled through once again as another 1-2-3 inning passed.
“[Kennedy] I thought did a great job, obviously,” Ford said. “We played really good defense behind her. [Harper]’s dive was an amazing catch.”
With Eschete’s double, Hill advanced to third after a thought to run home. Enright homered out of the park bringing the score to 4-0 on her fourth home run of the season. With the bases loaded, Cottrill singled to second and sent Wooley and Harper home.
“I was just thinking ‘I’m not going to strike out right now,’” Enright said.
Powell scored on Hill’s single as Enright returned to bat with the bases loaded. With her double down the right field line, she cleared the bases and upped the score to 10-0. RHP Addie Bowers entered the game and struck out sophomore pinch hitter Aiyana Coleman.
A nine run inning comes to a close as Kennedy and the Maroon and White defense handled business with three batters up and down.
“I’m glad they’re behind me,” Kennedy said.
