February 18, 2005
The No. 21 Texas A&M softball team remained perfect on the season as they defeated Utah State, 15-1, and Ole Miss, 2-1, to improve to 9-0 on the season. A&M's play was bolstered by a crowd of 1,059 spirited fans, the second largest crowd in A&M history, giving the Aggies a true home field advantage at the Aggie Softball Complex.
Freshman Megan Gibson earned State Farm Player of the Day accolades for the second time as she was 4-for-5, including her fifth home run, with an RBI and three runs scored.
"We just continue to take care of business on the field," A&M head coach Jo Evans stated. "We came out in the first game and hit the ball all over the park and followed that with a tough defensive game against Ole Miss."
Against USU, Morgan Hebert (Peoria, Ariz.) drew a second-inning bases loaded walk to push in the A&M's first run. The Aggies scored their second run when Amanda Scarborough (Magnolia, Texas) crossed the plate on an error by the Utah State shortstop. The Aggies third and fourth runs of the inning came on a second error by the USU shortstop. Jamie Hinshaw (Missouri City, Texas) drove in A&M's final run of the inning with a sac fly to left scoring McDonald from third.
The Aggies tacked on five runs in the third off of five hits and five more USU errors. Megan Gibson (Spring, Texas), Scarborough, Hebert, Davis and McDonald all scored giving A&M a 10-1 lead.
Gibson, who was batting .526 coming into the day, continued her onslaught in the fourth inning when she drove the delivery over the center field fence lifting the Aggies to an 11-1 lead.
Davis then made it 12-1, driving in the first RBI of her career, with a single to left scoring Scarborough who reached on her second double of the game.
After Rocky Spencer (Katy, Texas) scored on a Hinshaw groundout, Jana James (Mesquite, Texas) lifted the Aggies to a 15 -1 lead with a double to left, her second of the game.
Against Utah State, Sophomore Jill Weynand (Frisco, Texas) earned her second victory of the season with a one-hit five-inning shutout of USU. Weynand gave up a first-inning run before settling in and shutting the opponents down while recording four strikeouts.
The Aggies poured it on Utah State scoring five runs in the second, third and fourth innings. The Aggie batters racked up 16 total hits with six batters recording multiple hits in the game.
In the nightcap, after a second-inning Ole Miss home run, Aggie pitcher Amanda Scarborough scored from third on a throwing error by the Rebel catcher in the bottom of the inning.
James then put the Aggies up, 2-1, with a fifth-inning chopper to short that scored McDonald from third giving Scarborough enough support to improve to 5-0 on the season.
Scarborough remained perfect in the circle as she struck out a career-high 10 batters and only allowed one hit en route to the Aggies' first nine-streak win streak to begin a season since the 1991 squad began 11-0.
The St. Joseph Aggie Classic continues Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex. Tournament information is available on AggieAthletics.com.
St. Joseph Aggie Classic
Friday
10:00 Ole Miss -3, Northwestern St. - 2
12:15 Utah St. - 3, Northwestern St. - 2
2:30 Texas A&M, 15 - Utah St. - 1
4:45 Texas A&M, 2 - Ole Miss, 1
Saturday
10:00 Northwestern St. vs. Utah St.
12:15 Ole Miss vs. Northwestern St.
2:30 Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M
4:45 Texas A&M vs. Utah St.
Sunday
10:00 Utah St. vs Ole Miss
12:00 Texas A&M vs. Northwestern St.