March 17, 2006
The 18th-ranked Texas A&M softball team (18-8) beat UNLV (13-17), 8-3, Friday to remain undefeated in the final day of pool play in the Judi Garman Classic.
?I thought our kids did a good job today. We got off to a slow start, giving up three runs in the first inning,? commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. ?But I was really pleased that our kids didn?â„¢t feel pressured, we still had a lot of game left to play. We went out there and made some really good adjustments.?
The Rebels started the game off with three runs in the top of the first on back to back to back hits and a fielding error by Aggie centerfielder Sharonda McDonald.
A&M countered putting up three runs of their own in the bottom of the second. Ronda Smith reached on a walk and advanced to second on a past ball. Rocky Spencer then hit an infield single. Jami Lobpries was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Smith scored on the next play as Patti Wunderlich hit a ball into shallow left field. Spencer was thrown out at home on Holly Ridley?â„¢s fielder?â„¢s choice. McDonald singled to left driving in Lobpries. Jamie Hinshaw flew out to center before Megan Gibson drove in Wunderlich to tie the game at three. Amanda Scarborough flew out to left to end the inning.
After a little over half an hour of a rain delay the Aggies came out in the bottom of the fourth to score four runs on four hits to take the lead 7-3. McDonald got things started with a single to left field and advanced to second on a walk by Hinshaw. Gibson then plated her second RBI of the day with a single up the middle. Scarborough reached on a fielder?â„¢s choice, Hinshaw was thrown out on the force to third. Smith laid down a sac bunt advancing the runners. A single by Spencer scored Gibson. Scarborough advanced home on a throwing error. Lobpries sent a shot back up the middle to score Spencer. Wunderlich struckout to end the inning.
?Rain delays are tricky situations,? Evans continued. ?It?â„¢s hard on pitchers when they have to re-warm-up, and I thought Amanda went out there and was solid.?
The Aggies added another run in the bottom of the fifth, increasing their lead 8-3, on a triple by Hinshaw, her second of the season, and a double by Gibson.
Scarborough earned her seventh win of the season improving her record to 7-4. She allowed three runs on six hits. Scarborough struckout five and walked three.
Lisa Gorzycki (1-3) came in to closeout the seventh. She faced four Rebel batters, walking the first before coaxing a fly ball to left, another to center and striking out the final UNLV batter of the game.
Gibson was named State Farm Player of the Day going 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored on a single, a double and a walk.
Overall, A&M plated eight runs on 12 hits, to extending its winning streak to five games. Seven of the Aggie starters recorded at least one hit in the game.
?It?â„¢s really nice to see our hitters come through and really put some runs across the board,? Evans said. ?We?â„¢re right where we want to be defensively, getting outs and making plays and we?â„¢ve really started hitting all the way through our lineup.?
A&M will start bracket play, as the top seed from Pool D, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., facing the second seed of Pool A, which consists of Utah, Oklahoma, Fresno State and Alabama.
You can access live stats for all the Aggies?â„¢ tournament games by logging on to www.AggieAthletics.com.