After dominating in the Aggie Classic to start the season, Texas A&M softball headed to the sunny beaches of San Diego for the Campbell/Cartier Classic to face ranked Oregon and SDSU squads.
After leaving California undefeated, the Aggies traveled back home to Davis Diamond on Thursday, Feb. 22, to continue their 10-win streak against Southeastern Louisiana.
“I am always going to bet on us,” coach Trisha Ford said. “We just kept passing the bat, passing information and making sure we are staying connected with our plan.”
The Maroon and White started to warm up their bats in the bottom of the first with a bunt by junior SS Koko Wooley, who was later caught leaving first base early by the official on the next play.
Then, senior C Juila Cottrill beamed the ball to center field for a double, before she was ultimately left stranded on base by the Lions’ defense.
The next innings featured tough defense on both sides before Lion senior RHP Ellie DuBois walked two Aggie batters at the bottom of the third, and allowed both to steal a base.
This prompted a pitching change from DuBois to senior RHP Mary-Cathryn Comeaux, who finished the inning scoreless and stranded both batters in the process.
Graduate RHP Brooke Vestal was searching for her comeback performance against the Lions after being pulled in the series’ final game against SDSU last weekend, and did not disappoint Aggie fans.
Vestal finished her reign in the circle after three innings, ending with four strikeouts and allowing only five hits for one run.
“I thought Brooke did a good job, she was pounding the zone well and I thought she was a good matchup for them with her spin … a tough matchup to be honest,” Ford said.
The Lions found life at the top of the fourth after a single to center field by senior C Bailey Krolczyk and a single by senior 1B Lexie Johnson. Johnson knocked in sophomore 3B Maria Detillier with that ground hit to shallow right field, after Vestal had walked her previously.
The Lions took the lead with one run, but after a pitching change by Ford, graduate LHP Shaylee Ackerman guided the rest of the Aggies out of the inning, stranding two in the process.
The Maroon and White did not hesitate to respond with back-to-back base hits by graduate CF Jazmine Hill and sophomore LF Keely Williams, sending Hill home to put A&M on the board.
Then, Wooley knocked in junior pinch-runner Kramer Eschete, who took over for Williams, to take a 3-1 lead over Southeastern LA.
After a quick 1-2-3 inning on defense, the Aggies returned to the batters’ box with more to prove.
Hill continued her strong night by smacking a pitch from Comeaux over the right-center fence for her second home run of the season.
Lions’ coach Rick Fremin pulled Comeaux for junior RHP Chole Bennett following the homer, who mitigated the damage and finished the fifth inning out with no further runs.
The next two innings were all defense, as both teams hunkered down and finished out the game quietly with no further scores.
Ackerman showed her experience in this bout, accounting for five strikeouts in three innings, effectively putting away the Lions after a tough fought seven innings.
A&M will continue its Invitational at Davis Diamond on Friday, Feb. 23, at 4:30 p.m. against St. Thomas.
