Disappointment from the 12th Man loomed over Davis Diamond on Sunday night as yet another Texas A&M team’s season came to a close, this time it was No. 1 Texas A&M softball.
“I mean, these kids work their tails off all year,” coach Trisha Ford said. “They earned everything that was given to them, and we also earned this loss. I mean, that’s unfortunate, but, you know … It wasn’t on my bingo card to be honest with you.”
The loss came at the hands of Liberty — the same team that Maroon and White suffered against on Saturday — playing the role of David against Goliath as the non-power five conference opponent took down the top ranked team in the NCAA Tournament, 6-5.
Thirty minutes separated A&M’s second and third matchups against Liberty after the Aggies fought tooth and nail to push for a final tiebreaker to decide the winner of the Bryan-College Station Regional, ultimately winning in extras, 14-11.
“I told the team, I’m a little lost for words right now,” Ford said. “I felt like offensively, we came out and fought our tails off today, we just didn’t execute on the other side of the field. To be honest with you, I thought [freshman right-handed pitcher Kate] Munnerlyn did a great job [freshman RHP Sydney] Lesentine did a great job. We just couldn’t quite close it out.”
The savior from the previous game, Lessentine, dealt heat early with two strikeouts to begin her reign in the circle.
Back-to-back errors and a walk from the newcomer left the Lady Flames knocking on home plate with a bases-loaded situation. However, Lessentine would leave all visitors stranded at the door after striking out the last batter off a full-count.
As if she wanted to dispel a brewing pitchers’ duel, freshman second baseman KK Dement sent a two-run homer past the back wall for her second of the day.
Even though senior left fielder Kramer Eschete wasn’t in the outfield, freshman LF Kelsey Mathis was channeling her mentor’s abilities with a snag on the other side of the left field foul line.
“I think the future is very bright,” Ford said. “I mean, I think, you know, [Dement], that kid’s special, like so good and just a student of the game. I mean, you saw in the circle, you saw [freshman right fielder] Frankie [Vrazel] coming in, you know, and getting a big hit for us. You saw Kelsey Mathis. I mean, those kids are really maturing and moving along. I’m happy with their progress.”
Junior first baseman Amari Harper tallied on another run in the bottom of the third with a single RBI hit after two Fightin’ Farmers paved their way along the base path, increasing their lead to 3-0.
Lessentine settled in, finishing with four hits and six strikeouts through the first four innings before subbing out for senior left-handed pitcher Emiley Kennedy following a solo-homer in the top of the fifth from senior right fielder Rachel Roupe.
After walking the lead-off batter in the top of the sixth, Kennedy struck out two batters before giving up a two-run home run to tie the game at three.
“I mean, [Kennedy’s] been huge for us, right,” Ford said. “She’s helped build this program. Today, just, you know, wasn’t her day. And you know that’s sometimes how it goes. And you know, we’ve all been there.”
In a matter of moments, Ford went out for a mound visit and flipped Kennedy for junior RHP Grace Sparks, an unfortunate switch as Roupe went yard for a second time with a three-run RBI homer.
“Unfortunately, I just feel like pitching wise … we had a lot of arms, and we just couldn’t execute when we needed to,” Ford said.
Even quicker this time Ford was back onto the field with another sub, this time found in senior RHP Emily Leavitt.
“I think they had just grit,” Harper said about the seniors’ performance. “And they definitely left it out on the field, defensively and offensively. And we just have to take that momentum going through this next year and keeping it for our young ones coming in, for our sophomores now, and just keep them fired up and make this motivate them even more.”
As hopes for a Super Regional started to disappear for the Aggies, senior center fielder Allie Enright did her best to cut the lead down to two with a solo-home run. The run lit a fire under the next batters as the Fightin’ Farmers loaded two on base, and before sophomore LHP Kaylan Yoder could end the damage, senior shortstop Koko Wooley singled to shortstop for a one-run RBI.
Now facing a crucial seventh inning, Leavitt would carry the weight of the defense on her shoulders as she led the Farmers into the final at-bat, down by just one.
After Harper found first base off of a straight hit to center field, all eyes focused on the next four batters.
However, Yoder crushed any doubts for a comeback as she ended the Aggies’ season on a strikeout delivered to Eschete.
“Looking at what we’ve done this season, obviously, it didn’t end how we wanted and where we wanted to end,” Junior third baseman Kennedy Powell said. “Just thanking our seniors, I would say, is a big thing for … just showing us the way and paving the way. And there’s a lot of lessons learned. And like coach said, you know, just learning lessons. And for us, you know, be better next year.”
