March 19, 2003
The No. 23 Texas A&M softball team (21-11) split their conference opender double header today in Lubbock as they lost to Tech 4-1 in the first game and rolled the Raiders 10-1 in the rain-delayed second game.
In the first game Texas Tech jumped out to an early lead as they rallied behind two hits and one A&M error in the second inning to go up 1-0. Tech added to their lead in the fifth when they scored two and in the sixth when they put one more run on the board.
The Aggies lone run came in the sixth inning when Adrian Gregory reached on a fielders choice and then scored when Kristin Gunter hit a single to shallow center.
Junior Lindsay Wilhelmson (10-4) started the game and could not slow down the Raider bats as they recorded seven hits against her. Only two of the Tech runs were earned as A&M committed four errors.
In the closing game of the double header A&M hit two doubles in the top of the first but could not capitalize as Jana James was picked off at second and Collins was left stranded as Kristin Gunter grounded out to the pitcher to end their at bat.
Tech once again jumped on the Ags early as they put up one run in the bottom of the fifth when Elyssa Sigala reached on a walk on four straight pitches from Jessica Slataper and then scored when Kelly Rhyne hit a double in the left field gap.
In the top of the fourth the Ags took their first lead of the day when Crystal Martin, who reached on a single to right field and Cheryl Fowler who reached on an error by the third baseman, scored when freshman Rocky Spencer hit a single into right. The Aggie rally forced the Tech coaches to make a pitching change as the game went into a 25-minute rain delay.
When play resumed Collins hit a single up the middle that scored James and Spencer and increased the Aggie lead to three runs. Selena Collins scored the Aggies fifth run of the day when Lindsay Wilhelmson singled to center. The Aggies added three more runs and took an 8-1 lead when Crystal Martin hit her fifth home run of the year brining in Wilhelmson and Kristin Gunter.
Texas A&M added two more runs in the top of the sixth when Martin singled and senior Cheryl Fowler hit her first home run of the year as she sent the ball over the right center field fence and gave the Aggies a 10-1 lead.
After allowing one run in the first inning junior Jessica Slataper buckled down and kept the Raider offense at bay as she struck 13, including six in a row en route to her sixth win of the season.
The Aggies take the field again on Saturday when they host No. 5 Nebraska at the Aggies Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.