No. 15 Texas A&M softball traveled to San Marcos on Friday, March 6, to square off against in-state foes, Tarleton State and Texas State. 

“I think it’s going to be a weekend that we really establish who we’re going to be moving forward,” head coach Trisha Ford said in tuesday’s press conference. 

Despite solid performances in the circle, the Aggies went 1-1 in the doubleheader, falling to the Bobcats, 3-1, after run-ruling the Texans, 15-2. 

As Kelly Clarkson sang, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” After a home loss to Louisiana on Feb. 27, A&M had only gotten stronger, answering the defeat with a five-game win streak. The Aggies outscored their previous quintet of opponents 52-7, catching fire after previously getting burned. Unfortunately, the Maroon and White went up in flames on Friday afternoon, falling to the Bobcats on the road for a second straight time.

Routing of RELLIS relatives

An 11 a.m. start did not affect the Maroon and White, who were wide awake in the batter’s box to start the first inning. Taking advantage early, three straight Aggies took free rides to first base thanks to walks from junior left-handed pitcher Abigail Dowell. Poor pitching quickly became Tarleton State’s downfall, aiding A&M with eight total walks throughout the game. 

Sophomore catcher Ariel Kowalewski got the scoring started with a two-RBI double to right field, giving A&M a quick 2-0 lead. A batter later, sophomore shortstop KK Dement joined the party with a RBI single to right field. Only three outs into the game, the Aggies secured a dominant 3-0 advantage. 

A&M closed the door on Tarleton State in the second inning, tacking on six runs and accumulating an insurmountable 9-0 lead. Sophomore center fielder Kelsey Mathis kicked off the inning for the Aggies with a leadoff homer to center field. The Texans couldn’t find any relief, as senior second baseman Tallen Edwards and junior first baseman Mya Perez blasted back-to-back homers of their own. 

While A&M’s bats were hot, senior right-handed pitcher Grace Sparks ensured that Tarleton State’s were not. The Ole Miss transfer began her stay in the circle with a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. With an RBI groundout from junior third baseman Braylin Pannill, the Texans tried to get back into the game to no avail. Pitching four innings, Sparks struck out three batters, allowing five hits and only a single run. 

The Aggies ended Game 1 early, bringing home six more runs to rout the Texans, 15-2, in just five innings. 

History repeats itself

A&M fell to Texas State, 3-4, in its last road trip to San Marcos in 2024. The Bobcats had the Aggies’ number yet again, securing the upset win after seven innings. 

Unlike Game 1, the Maroon and White were unable to capitalize on a pair of walks from senior RHP Emma Strood, as the game went scoreless through the first two frames. 

History may repeat itself, but it needs to start somewhere. To begin the third inning, Edwards launched a leadoff homer into right field, giving A&M a one-run advantage. The Oklahoma State transfer had a historic day, hitting her first pair of home runs as an Aggie. 

Through four innings, the Fightin’ Farmers relied on powerful pitching from junior RHP Sidne Peters. After allowing an early hit in the first inning, the Santa Fe, Texas native shut down the Bobcat offense with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Striking out six batters and allowing five total hits, Peters kept the Aggies in contention despite a mid-game batting slump. 

In the fourth and fifth innings, A&M couldn’t find any production on offense, with six straight at-bats resulting in outs. 

It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth that the Bobcats broke through the gaps of the Aggie outfield. With a two-RBI double from redshirt freshman left fielder Harley Vestal, the A&M expat lifted the Bobcats past the Aggies, 2-1, bringing in two runs for the final lead change of the game. 

Despite batting one less inning, the Bobcats outhit the Maroon and White 3-1 to finish the game. A&M threatened in the sixth, putting two runners in scoring position, but were unable to find the game-tying run. 

Down 3-1, the Aggies turned to sophomore ace RHP Sydney Lessentine. The New Mexico native gave A&M a fighting chance, facing five batters and striking out four. Despite Lessentine’s splendid finish in the circle, the Maroon and White couldn’t find enough offense to pull off the comeback, falling to the Bobcats and pushing their overall record to 17-8. 

A&M will start Southeastern Conference play on Saturday, March 14, against LSU at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 6 p.m.