Coming off two-straight losses to No. 21 Mississippi State and No. 19 Texas State, Texas A&M softball rebounded against No. 25 Auburn at Davis Diamond on Friday, March 22. The Aggies took Game 1 with the help of three home run shots, slaying the Tigers 5-1 at the end of seven.
Right out of the gate, junior LHP Emiley Kennedy struck out the first Tiger in the lineup before walking junior 2B Rose Roach. Junior C Anna Wohlers then grounded out to second for a double play made between junior 2B Rylen Wiggins, junior SS Koko Wooley and sophomore 1B Amari Harper.
4️⃣6️⃣3️⃣ love to see that pic.twitter.com/d3xtCb0Vz6
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 22, 2024
Back on defense, the Aggies were chasing down base runners left and right after junior RF Icess Tresvik singled up the middle to second base, who was followed by senior CF Makayla Packer who grounded out to Kennedy in the circle.
Tresvik then was chased down for out No. 2 of the inning after she tried stealing third base but was caught in between multiple Aggies covering both second and third.
Senior LHP Shelby Lowe was feeling in the bottom of the second, striking out junior RF Allie Enright and allowing only one hit headed into the third inning.
Auburn found home plate first in the top of the third after junior 3B Annabelle Widra made to first off a bunt, then junior LF Abbey Smith followed with a groundout to third. Roach got her revenge on Kennedy’s pitch, sending it to far left field for an RBI single, which allowed Widra to reach home. Wohlers ended the Tiger’s successful at-bat by grounding out to first base.
While the Maroon and White looked stagnant on offense, the outfield held on in the top of the fourth, robbing two potentially dangerous long shots to both the right and left fields.
Senior DP Trinity Cannon brought Davis Diamond back to life with a slug-shot home run right over the center field fence. The homer was Cannon’s ninth of the season and tied the game at 1 going into the fifth inning.
New ballgame @trincannon | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/nUtJKgLZQF
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 23, 2024
Auburn was heating up in the batter’s box after junior SS Nelia Peralta started the hitting streak by singling to center field. Kennedy walked her third batter of the night, Widra, then Smith reached on a fielders’ error by Wooley, pressuring the Aggies into a no-outs bases-loaded situation. After senior DP KK McCrary hit a long flyout to center field, junior PR Riley McNemar who base ran for Peralta, was caught out on the throw from graduate CF Jazmine Hill to senior C Julia Cottrill.
Don’t you dare try that @Jazmine_h77 | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/pgLAiZWdmP
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 23, 2024
After Cottrill robbed the Tigers of a potential score, Roach popped up to Wooley who ended the inning stranding two baserunners.
Sophomore PH Kylei Griffin gave A&M the lead after she knocked out her first home run in a maroon and white jersey. Griffin sent Enright home with a bomb past the scoreboard after Enright was walked by Lowe.
“My teammates passed really good information onto me,” Griffin said. “They were telling me the whole time what [Lowe] was throwing so I was able to get my timing right and I did not [have to] go in blind.”
Over the board @queenkylei | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/J3TlxSCBg1
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 23, 2024
However, Lowe retaliated by sitting the next two batters through strikeouts, bringing her total to three on the night.
The slug shots for the Fightin’ Farmers kept coming as Cottrill found her mark after starting 0-2 in the box. Cottrill’s 2 RBI homer past right field brought home Harper, who reached base on a double down the left field line.
We eatin’ @juliacottrill | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/QAQUdPbgCf
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 23, 2024
Next, A&M will continue the home series against Auburn in Game 2 on Saturday, March 23, at 4:30 p.m.
