March 05, 2005
The Texas A&M softball team clinched the St. Joseph Texas A&M Invitational title with run-rule wins over Utah, 9-1, and Miami, 11-2, at the Aggie Softball Complex on Saturday.
Megan Gibson was named the State Farm Player of the Day after going 3-for-3 with three RBI including her league-leading 10th home run of the season against Utah.
"That is the kind of offensive output I have been waiting for," A&M head coach Jo Evans commented. "Yesterday our pitchers did a great job keeping us in games when we struggled at the plate but today we made the proper adjustments at the plate and had a great day offensively."
After resting on Friday, Gibson came out in her first at-bat of the tournament and knocked a 2-0 count over the right field fence for her 10th round-tripper of the season putting the Aggies up 1-0 in the second.
Two batters later, after starting pitcher Amanda Scarborough (Magnolia, Texas) doubled to right, Adrian Gregory (Livingston, Texas) followed Gibson's lead with a towering shot to right giving her two home runs on the weekend and five on the season.
After Utah hit a solo home run in the second, Gibson got the run back, on the first pitch she saw, hitting a single to left that scored Sharonda McDonald (Houston, Texas) from third. McDonald reached first on a single, stole second and advanced to third on a Jana James (Mesquite, Texas) groundout.
With the bases loaded and two outs Rocky Spencer (Katy, Texas) hit a three-run double scoring Gibson, Scarborough and Gregory, who walked, to give the Aggies a 7-1 lead on the teams' 39th, 40th and 41st two-out RBI of the season.
With no outs in the bottom of the fifth, Gibson delivered again with an RBI double down the left field line scoring James who tripled to lead off the inning. After Gibson advanced to third on a Scarborough groundout, Lindsay Park (Arcadia, Calif.) made it 9-1 Aggies with a single past the first baseman scoring Jami Lobpries (Wharton, Texas) who was pinch running for Gibson.
With the win, Scarborough remained perfect on the season with a four-inning three strikeout performance as she improved to 10-0 on the season in the Aggies' ninth run-rule victory of the season.
In the night cap, Miami jumped on top with a run in the third and one in the fourth but the Aggies answered with nine of their own in the bottom of the fourth.
With the bases loaded, pinch hitter Laura Durham (Pearland, Texas) hit a slow grounder back to the pitcher that she bobbled allowing Durham to reach and plating Gibson.
With one out, Joy Davis (Austin, Texas) stepped into the box and earned an RBI when she was hit by a pitch forcing Gregory across the plate.
McDonald then put the Aggies up 3-2 with a ground out to second allowing Spencer to score and setting the table for Hinshaw who doubled to right center plating Morgan Hebert, who re-entered to run for Durham, and Davis.
James continued the Aggie rally with a double to left center scoring Hinshaw and bringing Gibson back to the plate after she walked to lead off the inning.
After Gibson earned her second walk of the inning, Scarborough put the Aggies up 8-2 with a double to left field scoring Gibson and James.
After Scarborough moved to third on a wild pitch, Gregory recorded the Aggies' ninth RBI of the inning with a single to left giving A&M a 9-2 lead.
All-in-all, it was the Aggies longest inning offensively as they sent 14 batters to the plate and tallied nine runs on six hits.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hinshaw's first-career home run came in dramatic fashion as she hit a walk-off two-run shot to right to put the Aggies up 11-2 and complete their 10th run-rule win of the season.
The Aggies' 20-2 start is the school's best since the NCAA adopted softball as a championship sport in 1983.
Texas A&M completes play in the St. Joseph Texas A&M Invitational on Sunday at noon when they take on McNeese St. at the Aggie Softball Complex.
St. Joseph Texas A&M Invite
Friday
10:00 Utah, 2 - McNeese, 1
12:15 McNeese, 3 - Miami Univ., 0
2:30 A&M, 3 - Miami Univ., 0
4:45 A&M, 3 - Utah, 0
Saturday
10:00 McNeese, 9 - Miami Univ., 1
12:15 Utah, 6 vs. McNeese, 1
2:30 Texas A&M, 9 - Utah, 1
4:45 Texas A&M, 11 - Miami Univ., 2
Sunday
10:00 Miami Univ. vs. Utah
12:00 McNeese vs. Texas A&M