No. 5 Texas A&M softball entered the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational undefeated and took care of business against a formidable Wichita State squad by a 9-1 score. Earlier in the day, the Shockers suffered their first loss of the season, falling 2-0 to No. 23 Kentucky behind a sluggish offensive performance.
The Clearwater Invitational has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier collegiate softball tournaments, drawing top-ranked teams from powerhouse conferences like the Southeastern Conference, Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference The invitational offers an early-season test for programs with championship aspirations, featuring teams that will make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, a place both the Aggies and the Shockers hope to reach.
Junior third baseman Kennedy Powell provided a quick start for the Maroon and White, singling before stealing second two plays later. That stolen base put the Aggie offense in scoring position, which graduate designated player Mac Barbara capitalized on with an RBI single to the left side, allowing Powell to score and put A&M on the board.
On the following at-bat, sophomore first baseman Mya Perez followed with a single, advancing Barbara to third. A fielding error by a Wichita State infielder gave Barbara the green light to cross home plate, giving A&M an early 2-0 lead.
The Fightin’ Farmers continued their dominant start by adding another run in the second inning. On the first pitch, freshman second baseman KK Dement launched a solo home run to center field, extending the lead to 3-0.
Despite a difficult start at the mound, Wichita State junior pitcher Alex Aguilar settled in and limited the damage to just one run in the second. Aguilar showcased her resiliency by holding A&M’s high-powered offense scoreless over the next four innings.
Meanwhile, the scrappy Shockers squad would not go away. After a slow couple of innings, junior shortstop Taylor Sedlacek hit a double to break the goose egg and put Wichita State on the board. The Shockers threatened to put another run on the board, but freshman pitcher Sydney Lessentine minimized the damage and kept the score at 3-1.
A&M struggled to solve its Aguilar dilemma, who delivered back-to-back clean innings to keep the Shockers within reach.
Momentum began to tilt in favor of Wichita State , setting the stage for a potential upset. The Shockers, with their top of the lineup due up in the bottom of the sixth, looked poised to cut the lead. Senior outfielder Ellee Eck began the inning by reaching first after a catcher’s interference. Sedlacek followed with a single to shortstop, advancing Eck into scoring position. With the tying run at the plate, Wichita State was knocking on the door.
Junior infielder Sami Hood stepped up to the plate with a chance to fully swing momentum in the Shockers’ favor. Instead, she reached first on a fielder’s choice as Sedlacek was thrown out at second, abruptly ending what had been a promising inning.
Then came the top of the seventh inning, and A&M’s high-powered offense blew the game wide open with a six-run explosion. The Aggie offense, which had been held in check by Aguilar for the majority of the game, capitalized on a worn-out Wichita State bullpen.
Mya Perez’ double to the left center field opened up the floodgates bringing three runs to make the score 6-1. The Aggie onslaught continued as senior center fielder Allie Enright single hit down the middle brought two runs in after a fielding error by the opposing defense. KK Denter’s single hit and a Wichita State’s pitcher wild pitch stretched the lead to 9-1 and crushed any hopes of a Shockers comeback.
The score remained unchanged for the rest of the game, and the Aggies cruised to a 9-1 victory after their explosive seventh inning, continuing their undefeated campaign and making a statement at the Clearwater Invitational opener.
With momentum fully on their side, the Maroon and White will look to keep their hot start rolling as they take on UCF at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14.
