February 20, 2005
Texas A&M sophomore Sharonda McDonald went 2-for-4 with a run and three stolen bases as the No. 21 Texas A&M softball team (11-1) defeated Northwestern St., 9-3, in the final game of the St. Joseph Aggie Classic on Sunday.
Amanda Scarborough (Magnolia, Texas) was named the State Farm Player of the Game after an eight strikeout and one earned run performance en route to her sixth win of the season. She was also a major contributor at the plate as she was 2-for-2 with three RBI, including a two-run home run that squashed a Demon rally.
"We needed to come out and play aggressive today," A&M head coach Jo Evans commented. "They (Northwestern State) are a scrappy team that can give you trouble if you let them. We did a good job of playing as a team, overcoming our miscues and putting another mark in the win column."
McDonald (Houston, Texas) got the Aggies started in the first with an infield single and two steals before scoring on a fielding error by Demon first baseman Amanda Perdue.
Scarborough then made it 2-0 with a sac fly to center scoring Jana James (Mesquite, Texas) from third. A second fielding error by Perdue then allowed Megan Gibson (Spring, Texas) to score from second.
In the bottom of the second, Jamie Hinshaw (Missouri City, Texas) gave the Aggies a 4-0 lead with a sac fly to left field, A&M's second sac fly of the game.
After a three-run Demon fourth, Scarborough helped her own cause with a two-out first-pitch two-run home run to left scoring Gibson and putting the Aggies up by three.
Gibson added to the Aggies' lead in the bottom of the sixth when she took the 0-1 count and knocked it off the top of the right field fence for her team-high seventh home run of the season.
Later in the inning, after a walk to Scarborough and a hit batter (Gregory), Rocky Spencer (Katy, Texas) doubled down the left line scoring Scarborough and moving Gregory to third where she was plated by Lindsay Park's (Arcadia, Calif.) single to left giving the Aggies a 9-3 lead.
The Aggies finished 4-1 in the St. Joseph Aggie Classic after hitting .398 as a team with 27 RBI on six home runs while stealing 16 bases in 16 attempts.
The Aggies 11-1 start is their best since the 1991 squad began the season with the same mark.
Texas A&M takes the field again on Wednesday when they host Sam Houston State at 4 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex.
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. - 2, Utah St. - 0
12:15 Ole Miss - 11 - Northwestern St., 4
2:30 Ole Miss - 2, Texas A&M - 0
4:45 Texas A&M - 11, Utah St. - 1
Sunday
10:00 Utah St. - 1, Ole Miss - 1
12:00 Texas A&M - 9 Northwestern St. - 3