February 13, 2005
The No. 23 Texas A&M softball team remained undefeated with wins over Massachusetts and Chattanooga on Sunday at the Tempe Sports Complex. The Aggies run-ruled the Minutewomen, 8-0, and beat the Mocs, 4-0, to improve to 5-0 on the season.
"It was disappointing to lose a couple of games to the rain but I am pleased that we were able to get two wins over tournament teams from last year," A&M head coach Jo Evans commented. "We did a great job in the circle and really hit the ball well against two quality opponents."
The Aggies were scheduled to play five games in the Kajikawa Classic but lost three games to two days of cancellations.
Against UMass in the first game, the Aggies' speed and execution brought them their first run in the first inning when Sharonda McDonald (Houston, Texas) scored from first on a sacrifice bunt by Jamie Hinshaw (Missouri City, Texas). After reaching on a walk, McDonald moved to third on Hinshaw's bunt before scoring on an errant throw to third.
The Aggies added two more runs in the inning with back-to-back two-out homeruns by Adrian Gregory (Livingston, Texas) and Megan Gibson (Spring, Texas).
In the third inning, McDonald scored the Aggies' fourth run on a Jana James (Mesquite, Texas) single through the right side. After moving over to second on a Gregory fielder's choice, James was plated when Gibson singled to center moving Gregory to third.
Aggie starting pitcher Amanda Scarborough (Magnolia, Texas) added two more runs in the third with a one-out single up the middle that scored Gregory and Gibson.
With Scarborough on third, right fielder Rocky Spencer gave A&M an 8-0 lead with a two-out triple to right that reached the fence.
All-in-all, it was a productive third inning for the Ags as they batted around and scored five runs on four hits and three walks.
Scarborough improved to 3-0 on the season and continued her scoreless streak by pitching four scoreless innings and allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out three. In three starts, the right-handed Scarborough has a 0.00 ERA with no runs allowed and 13 strikeouts.
Sophomore Lisa Gorzycki (Bryan, Texas) entered for Scarborough in the fifth and pitched a scoreless closing inning in her first collegiate action in the circle.
In the second game, the Aggies scored early against Chattanooga when Gregory earned an RBI with a bases-loaded walk that scored Joy Davis (Austin, Texas) in the third. Davis reached on a walk and advanced to third on a bunt single by McDonald and a walk by James.
Scarborough, the Aggie first baseman, drove in A&M's second run of the game with an infield single that caromed off the pitcher's glove allowing pinch runner Jami Lobpries (Wharton, Texas) to score from second.
In the top of the seventh, a McDonald base bunt forced the Moc first baseman into a throwing error that allowed catcher Morgan Hebert to score from third. McDonald then became the Aggies' fourth run after stealing third and scoring on a Hinshaw ground out.
Four runs was more than enough for right-hander Jill Weynand as she threw her ninth complete game of her career allowing no runs on two hits while striking out seven.
Megan Gibson was named the State Farm Player of the Day after going 4-for-6 with a homerun, two RBI and two runs scored.
UMass and Chattanooga were familial opponents of the Aggies as all three teams competed in the Athens Regional in the NCAA Tournament last season.