Texas A&M softball took Game 2 and the series with a 3-2 win over Auburn on Saturday, March 23 with help from junior SS Koko Wooley’s batting.
“We were really pleased,” junior LF Kramer Eschete said.
Auburn’s junior C Anna Wohlers hit a homer past senior CF Jazmine Hill who lost her glove over the fence in the process. Fans watching from the grass outside of Davis tossed it back to her. The Aggies stepped up to bat down 1-0 in the bottom of the first.
With two outs against the Maroon and White, Hill doubled down the left field line. Hill’s hit was the only one of the first for A&M as senior RHP Shaylee Ackerman returned to the circle.
“[Ackerman]’s understanding what makes her effective on the mound,” coach Trisha Ford said.
Ackerman worked the count full for three consecutive batters, but struck out the second in senior DP KK McCrary swinging to the dismay of McCrary as went to walk. The third batter, junior 1B Amelia Lech, was walked.
“I felt really great,” Ackerman said. “It’s fun to come out to throw a full seven innings.”
The Aggie’s bats were not hot as two of the three batters in the bottom of the second struck out swinging against senior RHP Maddie Penta.
Initially called safe, junior CF Makayla Packer earned the Tigers’ second out after Ford challenged the play. Ackerman was quick to respond to Packer’s bunt and threw to sophomore 1B Amari Harper.
“When we play really clean defense, we tend to win softball games,” Ford said. “It’s a funny thing how that works.”
On the first pitch of the bottom of the third, Eschete doubled to left center field. Eschete advanced to third on a wild pitch by Penta. Wooley’s bunt sent her to first on a fielder’s choice as Eschete slid into home to even the score, 1-1.
Wooley advanced to third on Harper’s ground out, but Auburn’s coach Mickey Dean used two challenges on the play. Dean challenged that Wooley left first early and that she was out at third, but both of the calls stood.
After an uneventful fourth inning, Ackerman started off the fifth with a strike out against McCrary. The Aggie defense had a second consecutive 1-2-3 inning.
“I thought Shaylee [Ackerman] threw a great game, played clean defense,” Ford said.
Eschete singled up the middle, stole second and scored off of Wooley’s single through the left side. Wooley advanced to second on the throw, and Eschete had earned the first two runs of the game for the Aggies.
With a walk and a base hit, the Tigers had two runners on base. After a ground out by Wohlers, junior 2B Rose Roach advanced to second and Packer went to third. After a pop up secured by senior 2B Rylen Wiggins, the Aggies went up to bat.
Earning her seventh homer of the season, junior RF Allie Enright sent it out past right field to increase the Maroon and White’s lead, 3-1.
“When Allie [Enright] hit that home run we were like okay, feeling a lot better,” Eschete said.
With two outs up for the Tigers, Lech hit a homer off Ackerman on a 2-2 count to left center field. The final push was not enough for Auburn as A&M moved to 27-4 on the season and 7-1 in conference.
The Aggies will return to Davis in hopes to sweep the series against Auburn on Sunday, March 24 at 1 p.m.
