After falling short in the first two games of the series against LSU, Texas A&M softball had one more chance to add one to its win total on Saturday, March 30.
However, the Maroon and White left Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a bad taste in their mouths as the Tigers finished the series sweep over A&M with a 9-3 win that included a seven-run sixth inning to put the Aggies away.
The first inning came and went with both sides going three and out, but the second inning saw the Aggies get things started with a single to shortstop from junior SS Koko Wooley.
A walk of junior RF Allie Enright sent Wooley to second base before a walk from senior 2B Rylen Wiggins loaded the bases.
The Aggies were able to take advantage as senior sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell tripled down the right field line to send home Enright, Wiggins and Wooley for a 3-0 lead.
A&M couldn’t add to its lead at the top of the third, and the Tigers made sure to capitalize on it. LSU got started in the bottom of the third with a walk from freshman 3B Maddox McKee, and she wasted no time stealing second base.
A single to center field from senior CF Ciara Briggs allowed McKee to advance to third, and Briggs followed her single by stealing second base on an obstruction call that ruled in the Tigers’ favor. LSU was able to load the bases off of a walk to senior SS Taylor Pleasants.
LSU then got on the board off of a single to center field from senior 1B Raeleen Gutierrez that advanced Pleasants to second while sending home Briggs and McKee for two runs.
A pivotal inning for A&M came in the fifth as LSU took the lead in the previous two games’ fifth innings. However, the Aggies kept the Tigers scoreless in the fifth inning in this one as a diving catch from junior LF Kramer Eschete ended the inning with the Maroon and White still on top, 3-2.
A&M set itself up for a chance to extend its lead at the top of the sixth inning, but they were unable to capitalize with runners on third and second.
The Tigers were up next and got started with a single from senior 2B Karli Petty, who was able to advance to second off of a throwing error from the Aggies. LSU followed with a single to center field from junior RF McKenzie Redoutey.
A single to left field from sophomore C Maci Bergeron advanced Redoutey to second and sent Petty home to tie to ballgame at 3-3. This forced coach Trisha Ford to switch out junior LHP Emiley Kennedy for junior RHP Emily Leavitt.
LSU opted to switch out Bergeron with freshman PR Madilyn Giglio, who advanced to second off of the passed ball while Redoutey made it third. A walk from McKee forced Ford to again swap out her pitcher, this time subbing in senior RHP Shaylee Ackerman to replace Leavitt.
Up next for the Tigers was senior LF Ali Newland, who homered in a grand slam to put LSU up 7-3.
The Tigers continued their dominant sixth inning. A single through the right side from Briggs followed the grand slam, and a walk from Pleasants advanced Briggs to second.
A reach on a fielding error from Gutierrez advanced her to second while sending Pleasants to third and Briggs home for LSU’s fifth run of the inning.
Another reach for LSU had senior DH Kelley Lynch advance to first, with freshman PR Jadyn Laneaux going in for Lynch. A walk from Petty advanced Laneaux to second and Gutierrez to third while Pleasants scored to put LSU up 9-3 at the end of the sixth inning.
A&M had no answer in the seventh inning, as it could only manage a single through the right side from Eschete before two groundouts and a strikeout ended the game.
The 9-3 loss is the worst for the Aggies this season and puts them at three losses in a row, their longest losing streak this season.
The Maroon and White look to end their three-game losing streak against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday, April 2 back at Davis Diamond.
