Coming off an eight-game winning streak and a consensus Top 10 ranking for the first time this season, No. 8 Texas A&M softball started their last SEC regular season series against No. 9 Florida on Friday, May 3 in Gainesville, Florida.
A close game that remained a one-score affair up until the final inning ended with a 2-1 loss for the Aggies.
The first inning flew by for both teams, but the second inning was a different story.
A walk from senior DP Trinity Cannon started the Aggies’ offense in the second, as a sacrifice ground-out from junior LF Kramer Eschete advanced Cannon to second.
Then, Junior RF Allie Enright put the Aggies on the board with a single into left field that sent Cannon home.
The next few innings saw A&M and Florida’s defense hold both offenses at bay.
It was not until the fifth that Florida got their offense going when junior LF Korbe Otis singled to shortstop before she advanced to second off of a throwing error from sophomore 1B Amari Harper.
Following Otis’ single, senior SS Skylar Wallace doubled to right-center field for Otis to run it home for the score.
Then sophomore C Jocelyn Erickson hit a single to shortstop followed by another single to left field from junior DP Reagan Walsh, which sent Erickson and Wallace to second and third base, respectively.
Before the Aggies could get out of the inning, freshman 1B Ava Brown hit a sacrifice fly for Wallace to score that put Florida up 2-1 at the end of the fifth.
The sixth inning came and went, as A&M wasn’t able to tie the game or take the lead before the seventh and final inning.
Enright gave the Aggies a chance to score in the seventh with a double to left center field. However, the Aggies weren’t able to capitalize on the double.
A&M is now tied with Florida for second place in the SEC standings and now loses its chance to take first in the SEC.
The Maroon and White will look to come back from the loss in Game 2 against the Gators on Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m.