Falling in a 1-0 nail-biter Game 1 to Kansas, A&M softball came back to a run-rule win over North Dakota State, 10-0.
It was Day 3 of the Texas A&M Invitational as the Aggies took on the Jayhawks and the Bison on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Game 1
“Tip your hat off for Kansas,” coach Trisha Ford said. “They beat us. Like they beat us, so you have got to give them some respect. But at the end of the day my money is still on us.”
After the top and bottom of the first went three up and three down, graduate RHP Shaylee Ackerman struck out three batters to lead the Maroon and White into the batter’s box.
Graduate CF Jazmine Hill doubled to right field as the Kansas outfield failed to wrangle in her hit, but the Aggies were unable to capitalize on it in the second.
A bunt by sophomore RF Aynslee Linduff caused sophomore LF Presley Limbaugh to advance to third as the Aggies were waiting to see if the bunt was foul. Ford challenged the call of safe at third and won as Limbaugh earned the first out of the top of the fourth.
Juniors in RF Allie Enright and LF Kramer Eschete struck out swinging by senior LHP Kasey Hamilton which followed Hill’s walk in the bottom of the frame.
Ackerman walked junior DP Olivia Bruno who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Aggie sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell easily scooped up a grounded out ball to earn the second out at junior 2B Sara Roszak’s expense. Senior C Julia Cottrill saved A&M from succeeding a run as she tagged Bruno out at home.
Cottrill’s double down the left-field line brought the energy back to Davis Diamond and the Aggie offense as Hill was walked for the second time. Nothing came of it, and Ackerman stepped back into the circle with a 0-0 score at the top of the seventh.
“I felt like we chased a little bit too much,” Ford said.
The traveling Kansas fans had something to cheer for as Bruno homered towards the parking lot. The next Jayhawk batter up, sophomore 1B Campbell Bagshaw, was walked by Ackerman. Ackerman left the circle and senior RHP Brooke Vestal took her place. Vestal struck out senior 3B Ashlyn Anderson swinging, and the Aggie offense had their final turn to come.
It was a full count for pinch hitter freshman Mya Perez who was eventually walked by Hamilton. Sophomore 1B Amari Harper came in to run for Perez on first. Powell’s pop up to CF ended the first game for A&M.
“I would love to play them again,” Ford said. “I wish we had another game against them, but that’s how it goes.”
Game 2
“I challenged them,” Ford said. “I said ‘Well, what do you want this to be? A day that we split, or a day that we turn in two L’s.’ I said ‘You got to refocus’.”
Junior LHP Emiley Kennedy started off in the circle for the Aggies as they took on the Bison from North Dakota State.
Ball five chants rang through Davis as freshman RHP Addie Bowers threw out a strike to Powell. Reaching on a fielding error by 1B was Powell as junior SS Koko Wooley scored the first run of the night for the Maroon and White. Hill stepped up to the plate and singled up the middle for Powell to score. The Aggie offense was back with a 2-0 lead in the first.
In a three-pitch strikeout against senior CF Emilee Buringa, Kennedy faced her third batter of the third in sophomore RF Ella Claus with hopes to strike Claus out like the previous two Bison players. Harper caught Claus’ foul out ball to go into batting.
An out of the park homer by senior DP Trinity Cannon doubled the score as she brought Cottrill home with her to make it 4-0. Back-to-back homers by Enright then Wiggins forced a new pitcher into the circle for NDSU in sophomore RHP Piper Reed.
The fourth home run of the game and of her season so far was smacked over the scoreboard by Cottrill. Sophomore pinch hitter Kylei Griffin doubled down the left-field line and advanced Hill to third. Wiggins’ second homer of the night sent Griffin and Hill home as the score ticked up to 10-0.
“I expect that out of us,” Ford said. “I would have liked to see that little bit better focus in the first game than in the second game.”
The Aggies will end the night at 13-1 on the season with their next game against UTSA on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.
