Finishing it up in Davis Diamond, Texas A&M softball defeated Houston 12-2 on Tuesday, April 23.
“Just a really great job honestly from our offensive side of the ball,” coach Trisha Ford said.
Coming back from a 3-0 pitch count, junior RHP Emily Leavitt struck out the first Cougar batter in junior LF Lair Beautae. The second batter was worked to a full count, but the ball flied out to junior RF Allie Enright.
A ground out received by junior SS Koko Wooley ended the top of the first, and the Aggies went to the batter’s box.
Sophomore 1B Amari Harper was walked by senior LHP Shelby Smith to start off the bottom of the frame.
In what could have been a double play by the Houston defense, senior CF Jazmine Hill reached on a fielding error by junior SS Brooke Lorenzo.
Cottrill flew out while Harper advanced to third and Hill to second. Hill got caught in a throw down, and Hill attempted to steal home but got tagged out to end the first inning.
Smith singled to sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell, and senior CF Kennedy Thomas was hit by Leavitt. To load the bases with one out on the board, Bethany Aguilar singled just in front of Enright. Leavitt proceeded to strike out senior DP Katy Repa swinging.
After a throw down between second and third as well as between third and home, Smith was called out. Houston challenged the call of out at third due to obstruction, and the call was changed. Senior RF Paige Hulsey reached on a fielder’s choice as her hit to a diving Wooley was tossed up to senior 2B Rylen Wiggins to get Aguilar out.
“There [Koko] is sliding and diving,” Ford said.
The Aggies went to bat in the bottom of the second, and senior DP Trinity Cannon was hit by a pitch on a 1-0 count. Wooley was walked after a full count, and freshman Hailey Golden entered to pinch run for Cannon. Enright’s ground out advanced Golden and Wooley.
On Wiggins’ double to left field, Golden and Wooley scored as Wiggins advanced to third on the throw. Golden undoubtedly scored, but Wooley was initially called out at home. After a review, Wooley was safe due to obstruction of the plate.
“I go one speed, and it’s fast,” Wooley said.
Wiggins made it home off of Powell’s hit where Powell reached on a fielding error to increase the lead to 3-0 with one out. Harper’s in field homer was initially a triple, but she scored on a throwing error by Aguilar. Powell came home as well to make it 5-0.
Smith’s night in the circle came to a close as senior RHP Taylor Edwards entered the game for Houston. Edwards managed four strikes with the next two batters to end the second.
On Beautae’s second appearance at bat, she singled to Wooley who slipped on the catch and couldn’t get it to Harper in time for the out. In back-to-back singles off of Leavitt, senior 3B Jazmyn Rollin advanced Beautae to second.
The bases loaded again for Leavitt as junior C Turiya Coleman singled above Powell. Powell reached for the out but the ball tipped out of her glove. Beautae scored off of Smith’s at bat, but Smith was out at first. The Cougars cut into the Aggies’ lead, 5-1.
Leavitt exited the circle for junior LHP Emiley Kennedy after hitting senior 1B Bree Cantu and loading the bases.
“I thought Lefty came in and settled everything down,” Ford said.
Thomas reached on a fielder’s choice and bumped the base runners up one. Rollin was out at home with a connection of Wooley to Cottrill. The final out was earned with Kennedy striking out Aguilar swinging.
Cottrill started off the bottom of the third with a ground out to 3B, but was called out due to interference with Cantu. A single by Wooley, double by Enright and a walk of Wiggins loaded the bases. The Aggies were unable to capitalize on the loaded bases as Kennedy returned to the circle.
Kennedy walked Hulsey who advanced to third on a fielding error off of Beautae’s hit. On Rollin’s sac-fly, Hulsey scored. The Aggies went to the bottom of the fourth leading 5-2.
Harper was walked and advanced to second on Eschete’s flied out ball then Hill’s single sent Harper home. Cottrill stepped up and doubled to center field to advance Hill to third. Freshman Scoutt Lovell pinch ran for Cottrill and was sent home with Hill off of Cannon’s 12th homer of the year. The Aggies led 9-2.
Houston called in freshman RHP Gigi Solis into the circle for Edwards as A&M only had one out for the bottom of the fourth. Wooley singled and advanced to second on Enright’s walk. Wooley and Enright all came home on Wiggins’ homer to left field to make it 12-2.
Kennedy entered the circle for the fifth and final inning and struck out Smith and Cantu looking. She allowed a single by Thomas, but her defense backed her up to allow for the third out.
The Aggies will hit the road to play at Sam Houston State on Wednesday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m.
