March 04, 2006
The 14th-ranked Texas A&M softball team (14-8) finished the St. Joseph Texas A&M Invitational 3-2, with a 2-0 loss to the College of Charleston (11-8) and a 8-0 win over Texas Southern (1-15) in front of 1,001 fans Saturday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
?I'm really disappointed in our ballclub,? commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. ?I was not at all happy with our approach and there?â„¢re things that you can control in a game and that?â„¢s our attitude and our effort. I want to apologize to our fans, we had a lot of fans come out to support us today, and they deserve better than that.
In the bottom of the first, the Aggies plated three runs and Sharonda McDonald stole her 73rd consecutive base, tying the NCAA consecutive stolen base record.
After McDonald reached, Jamie Hinshaw singled to leftfield. The leftfield threw home, holding McDonald at third, but allowing Hinshaw to move to second. Designated player Megan Gibson then doubled to center scoring both McDonald and Hinshaw and later scoring on a Rocky Spencer single to rightfield.
?This was great for Sharonda,? Evans noted. ?She?â„¢s a huge threat when it comes to stealing bases. She works hard day in and day out. It?â„¢s such an honor for her to be able to leave her mark in the NCAA record book.?
In the third inning, Gibson and Amanda Scarborough walked to get things started. Spencer then reached on a fielder?â„¢s choice. Ronda Smith singled to center to score Gibson and Spencer, Scarborough was out on the fielder?â„¢s choice. Second baseman, Jami Lobpries walked and catcher Beverly Rowan singled to advance the runners. With the bases loaded starting pitcher Jill Weynand recorded an RBI on a walk, by Texas Southern pitcher, Christy DeLeon. McDonald singled to bring in the fourth Aggie run of the inning and Hinshaw high a sac fly for the fifth run.
Weynand and the Aggie defense held the Lady Tigers to no runs over the next two innings to put the 8-0 run-rule into effect.
Weynand was credit with her first win of the season. She threw five innings of shutout ball, giving up one hit while striking out five.
?I thought Jill went out and played hard,? Evans said. ?She?â„¢s really been working hard all season and hasn?â„¢t really gotten a lot of opportunities to get playing time, so it was good to see her get in and enjoy her outing. She did a good job.?
?It was good to see Kristine Test get out there, she?â„¢s our only walk-on,? Evans continued. ?She comes out everyday; she?â„¢s an engineering student, as sharp as a tack. She works hard every single day and I was really excited that she was able to get an at bat and play defense. She did a great job and took a walk. I?â„¢m happy to see someone like that get out there and help us win a ballgame. To me that?â„¢s a bright spot, because Kris is a kid that no one is really ever going to know about because she doesn?â„¢t get to play everyday, but she works just as hard as anybody else. I?â„¢m really happy she?â„¢s apart of our club.?
In the first game of the day, Jennifer Golden hit her sixth homerun of the year to put the Cougars up 1-0, in the bottom of the fourth. Kolby Schooley was hit by a pitch in the fifth and was able to score on a throwing error by pitcher Lisa Goryzcki to add the second Cougar run.
Gorzycki recorded the loss, dropping to 1-2 on the season. She threw four and a third innings, giving up three hits, two runs, one earned. She walked one and struckout five.
Amanda Scarborough was brought in for relief work, facing two batters in the fifth. She worked one and two-thirds, giving up no hits and striking out two.
McDonald was State Farm Player of the Day, tying the NCAA consecutive stolen base record (73) going 1 for 2 against the Tigers scoring a run and recording and RBI.
The Texas A&M Invitational will conclude Sunday with a game between Texas Southern and the College of Charleston at 10:00 a.m. Live stats for the game will be available at aggieathletics.com .
Tickets for the St. Joseph Texas A&M Invitational, and all home games, are available at the gate and by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.