April 01, 2006
A sixth-inning two-run rally by the Texas Tech Red Raiders (13-22, 2-3) saw the No. 15 Texas A&M softball team (24-10, 3-1) drop its first conference game of the season, 3-2, Saturday in front of 353 fans at Rocky Johnson Field.
?We made it hard on ourselves,? commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. ?Both times we got ahead in the game we turned right back around to let them score a run. In that last inning when they scored two, it was poor decisions on our part. Twice we moved their runners into scoring position and twice those runners scored. I thought that was critical.?
Gibson drove in her team-leading 23rd RBI of the season in the top of the fourth. Sharonda McDonald reached on a slap bunt and stole second before Gibson lined a shot in to left field for the Aggies?â„¢ first run of the game.
Texas Tech designated player, Jennifer Corkin hit a solo shot, in the bottom of the fourth, off the scoreboard in right-center field to tie the game at one. The home run was Corkin?â„¢s first of the season.
The Aggies took the lead again in the top of the sixth. Jamie Hinshaw reached on a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt by McDonald. Gibson then lined a shot to Heather Parker at shortstop. Parker committed a throwing error allowing Hinshaw to score and give the Aggies a 2-1 advantage.
However, Tech battled back to take the lead and eventually the win in the bottom of the sixth. Two singles and a double off starting pitcher Amanda Scarborough gave the Red Raiders two runs to go ahead 3-2.
Scarborough dropped to 10-5 with the loss. She threw six complete, giving up three runs on five hits. Scarborough struck out five Red Raider batters.
With the win, Erin Crawford improved to 8-9 on the season. She threw seven complete, allowing two runs on three hits. Crawford walked three and struck out seven.
The last time A&M lost to Tech was April 19, 2003 in the first game of a doubleheader in Lubbock.
?I thought Texas Tech came out and played really well, they were fired-up,? Evans said. ?Crawford did a good job of getting strike outs. I think we need to, of course, get better at the plate. We did come out and score a couple of runs, and I really felt like that could hold.?
A&M and Tech will meet in the final game of the two-game series Sunday at 12:00 p.m. at Rocky Johnson Field. Live audio and stats for the game will be available at AggieAthletics.com.