No. 17 Texas A&M softball concluded its weekend series against No. 21 Mississippi State on Sunday, March 17 in Starkville. The Aggies took the first two games in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 16 but could not contain the Bulldogs in Game 3, dropping the series finale 6-5.
“Sundays are hard,” coach Trisha Ford said. “On Sundays, we have to figure out how to come out here and grind it out.”
Fifth-year RHP Aspen Wesley showed some struggles early from the plate. She allowed four walks in the first inning, two from senior CF Jazmine Hill and senior C Julia Cottrill that allowed the Aggies to get set for scoring.
Sophomore DH Aiyana Coleman, with her fifth start of the season, came out swinging to get the Aggies on the board and create an early Aggie lead after a three-run RBI brought home Hill and Cottrill, pushing the score to 3-0.
.@coleman_aiyana with the 2️⃣-out damage 💥 pic.twitter.com/Sa1yLvHfxj
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 17, 2024
Mirroring Wesley, pitcher problems ensued for the Aggies as junior LHP Emiley Kennedy approached the plate in the bottom of the first inning. The D1 Softball National Pitcher of the week allowed back-to-back walks from junior CF Sierra Sacco and sophomore 3B Nadia Barbary. Fifth-year 1B Madisyn Kennedy cracked the bat for Mississippi state with a homer to center field bringing the score to 3-3.
Hill kept the Maroon and White alive at the top of the second inning after sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell fouled out, junior SS Koko Wooley grounded out and 1B Trinity Cannon struck out. Hill, with the only spark of the inning, hit a homer to center field and gave the Aggies a fourth point.
🥊 punched back@Jazmine_h77 | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/RszqZNgp8I
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 17, 2024
A pair of dry innings followed for both squads until the Bulldogs found a fourth run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kennedy allowed her fifth walk of the game to fifth-year LF Brylie St. Claire scored to tie the game 4-4, after Barbary went up to bat and doubled to left center.
In the fifth inning, neither team found home plate. Strikeout was Wesley’s motto for the top of the sixth inning as she found momentum in her pitch to completely take the Aggies out of their game. Back-to-back strikeouts from Cottrill and Coleman followed by junior RF Allie Enright lining out to left field left the Aggies scoreless in an inning, once again.
Mississippi State found its victory in the bottom of the sixth with a few bulldogs on bases. St. Claire scored on a passed ball, and Barbary ran in to score after a right field hit from freshman OF Ella Wesolowski.
At the top of the seventh inning, Mississippi State led with six runs while the Aggies were still locked in at four. Senior 2B Rylen Wiggins hit a much needed RBI single to left center and notched a fifth run for the Aggies.
Cut the deficit in half 🤞@rywiggins | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/k8c0AkVMPM
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) March 17, 2024
Despite Wiggins’ efforts, it was not enough for the Aggies to complete the sweep after Wooley and Hill closed out batting for A&M but could not land on a base.
The loss to Mississippi State marks the first conference loss for the Aggies this season and notches the third conference win of the season for the Bulldogs.
“We didn’t do a great job of executing our game plan,” Ford said. “We had a couple of opportunities but we just ran out of time.”
The Aggies continue on the road to San Marcos Wednesday, March 20 to face the Texas State Bobcats with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.
“We just have to go back to the drawing board,” Ford said. “We have a tough opponent mid week and obviously we have Auburn at home this weekend.”
