No. 24 Texas A&M dropped Game 2 against No. 4 Alabama on Friday. With a final score of 8-6, A&M is now 25-7 and 4-4 in SEC play.
Starting with their bats hot, the Aggies put two on the board after junior Makinzy Herzog hit a single to left field followed by sophomore Shaylee Ackerman’s home run to right field.
Alabama shortened A&M’s two-run lead after scoring three in the bottom of the second with three singles sending three runners home.
The Crimson Tide brought four runners home in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases twice in the inning making the score 8-2.
Launching her second home run of the night, Ackerman sent the ball to centerfield ending the bottom of the sixth 8-3.
Freshman pitcher Grace Uribe held the Crimson Tide to 12 hits, all of which were singles. Uribe delivered four strikeouts through six innings.
A&M coach Jo Evans said she was impressed with Uribe’s performance as a rookie pitcher facing a score-hungry top five team.
“She didn’t break and I just thought she handled herself so well,” Evans said. “She gets out there in that one inning with the bases loaded, nobody out, she pops up two of them and they do end up getting a hit, scoring a couple, but then she comes right back at that next batter and gets herself an out.”
After a scoreless two innings for Alabama, A&M showed up offensively in the top of the seventh. Starting the inning off hot, Herzog sent a homer to centerfield followed by freshman Bre Warren hitting a single to centerfield. After an Alabama fielding error, Warren was sent to second allowing junior Haley Lee’s to bring her home after hitting a single.
Despite an aggressive offense at the top of the seventh, the maroon and white failed to match Alabama, resulting in their second loss of the series.
Evans said she was pleased with the team’s performance regardless of the loss.
“Our top four hitters were phenomenal today,” Evans said. “They had great at-bats and they had nine out of our 11 hits.”
The Aggies will finish up the weekend series in Tuscaloosa on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.