The Texas A&M softball team opened up its fall slate of exhibitions on Friday, Sept. 30 with a 13-5 win over McLennan Community College at Davis Diamond.
The Aggies begin the fall season under newly hired head coach Trisha Ford. The exhibition was scheduled for 10 innings, to allow both teams to be able to play as much of their roster as possible.
Senior pitcher Shaylee Ackerman got the start for A&M in the circle while freshman pitcher Brinly Maples got the start in the circle for McLennan.
A&M was led at the plate by junior infielder Trinity Cannon going 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, a triple and a home run, driving in two. Junior catcher Julia Cottrill also went 2-for-3 on the day with a homerun and a triple, driving in one run.
The fans at Davis Diamond were treated to some cool Friday night weather while they were able to watch the Aggie bats get hot.
McLennan threatened to score in the top of the first inning by drawing a pair of walks to help them load the bases. Ackerman used a strikeout and a pair of groundouts to help get them out of the bases-loaded jam.
The Aggies went up 1-0 in the bottom half of the first when sophomore outfielder Brianna Evans drove in fellow Oklahoma State transfer Cottrill with a hard infield single back to the pitcher.
The Highlanders struck back in the third, taking a 2-1 lead off of a two-run single to center from sophomore outfielder Sydney Kirby. In the bottom half of the third, the Aggies tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to right-center field off the bat of Cottrill.
A&M took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI groundout to shortstop off the bat of freshman third baseman Riley Valentine.
The maroon and white extended their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI line drive off the glove of the pitcher off the bat of sophomore shortstop Koko Wooley. The Aggies extended their lead again in the eighth to 6-2 with a two-run home run off the bat of Cannon. The following at-bat, A&M extended its lead once again to 7-2 with a no-doubt home run to left field for Valentine.
McLennan answered back in the top of the ninth with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field from freshman infielder Makenzi Jenkins to decrease the Aggie lead to 7-3.
A&M added five more runs in the bottom of the ninth to extend its lead to 12-3, highlighted by a two-run double to left from freshman first baseman Aiyana Coleman.
The Highlanders added two more runs, and the Aggies scored one more in the 10th to close out the 13-5 victory.
The Aggies will continue their fall slate Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. at Davis Diamond against Houston.