Texas A&M
Chattanooga
Aggies Advance in NCAA Regional with 6-0 Blanking of Chattanooga
May 21, 2004 | Softball
May 21, 2004
Senior Jessica Kapchinski threw the sixth no-hitter of her career and juniorJana James went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs as the No. 22 Texas A&M softball team (33-21) defeated UT-Chattanooga (42-25), 6-0, in an elimination game at the Georgia Softball Stadium in the NCAA Regionals on Friday.
"I was really happy with the way we came back after yesterday," head coach Jo Evans commented. "We were certainly frustrated and disappointed with our start in the tournament so it was a great way to get back on track."
Kapchiski earned the no-hitter after seven innings of work where she struck out nine and walked three. UTC had four base runners on the day but Kapchinski, along with the Aggie defense, did not allow any of them to reach second base.
"She pitched great," Evans continued. "I thought her movement and location were really good. She kept it simple. She went out there and threw strikes and found ways to get outs and defensively we played great in support."
Second baseman Sherah Atkins made a nice play on a tough grounder up the middle in the sixth while centerfielder Sharonda McDonald started off the seventh with a shoe-string catch running in to keep the no-hitter alive.
After combining for 19 hits in their last four games, the Aggies busted out against the Lady Mocs with 15 hits. Five Aggie batters recorded multiple hits in the game including, McDonald, Rocky Spencer, James, Kristin Gunter and Atkins.
James, the left fielder, led the Aggies at the plate with a two-RBI double in the first, scoring McDonald and Spencer, and an RBI single in the third that plated Spencer for the second time. James became the Aggies' third first-inning run when Gunter, the designated player, knocked her in with a single up the middle.
It was James' single in the third that scored the fourth run and Gunter provided the fifth in the fifth when she drove in James for the second time.
Atkins capped the scoring in the sixth when she drove the delivery down the left field line and over the wall for her fourth home run of the season.
The Aggies take the field again on Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) night when they take on the loser of the Georgia-Georgia Tech game.
Live audio and stats will be available on AggieAthletics.com.
