Texas A&M
Fresno State
Aggies Win Two in Arizona
Feb 10, 2006 | Softball
February 10, 2006
The defending Big 12 Champion, Texas A&M softball team (2-0-0), handed both the 17th-ranked Fresno State Bulldogs (0-2-0) and the Wolf Pack of Nevada (0-1-0) loses Friday, during the first round of games in the Kajikawa Classic held at the Tempe Sports Complex.
"Overall, I think our kids came out and play hard," commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. "I liked our approach. We hit well up and down the line-up and we were able to generate a lot of runs with two outs."
In game one, against the Bulldogs, the 6th-ranked Aggies had a big five-run first inning. Starting things off was freshman shortstop Holly Ridley, who singled to score Amanda Scarborough, who along with Megan Gibson reached on back-to-back walks. Gibson then scored on a single by Ronda Smith, before Bryan-native Beverly Rowan belted her first Aggie career homerun- a towering shot over the leftfield fence.
An inning later, starting pitcher, Scarborough, followed Rowan's lead,making the score 7-0 as she hit a bomb of her own, scoring Sharonda McDonald, who reached on a single to center.
On the defensive end, Ridley ended any threat the Bulldogs may pose, in the top of the fourth, as she, running back, dove to her right and caught a Kori Sherman liner to left.
Gibson solidified A&M's win in the bottom of the fifth when she sent a blast to straight-away centerfield, bringing the 8-0 run-rule into affect.
Scarborough recorded the complete game shutout, giving-up four hits while striking out one Fresno State batter.
"I think Amanda (Scarborough) did a very nice job today of hitting her spots," Evans said of her All-American. "She mixed in her change-up at the right times and kept the Fresno hitters off balance."
In the second game of the day, the Aggies faced the Wolf Pack. Nevada took an early 2-0 lead on a homerun by designated player, Candice Rainwater.
The Nevada lead was cut in half in the top of the third as McDonald scored on a Scarborough single up the middle.
The Aggies tied and took the lead in the top of the fourth as starting second baseman, Jami Lobpries, sent a double down the leftfield line, scoring Smith who reached on a single. Senior, Rocky Spencer lined a shot into left scoring Lobpries from third. McDonald reached ona fielder's choice before, once again, advancing all the way home on a Scarborough single, giving A&M a 4-2 advantage.
With runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Gibson, Who was in the circle for game two, coxed two fly balls to centerfield by consecutive Nevada hitters to escape the inning unscathed.
However in the bottom of the sixth Brittany Pusey line a Gibson pitch over the left-centerfield fence, evening the game four-all.
Gibson helped her cause, in the top of the seventh, when she hit a walk-off homerun to dead center, putting the Aggies back on top 5-4.
Lisa Gorzycki came in to closeout the game for A&M in the bottom of the seventh. She gave up one hit and struck-out one as the Aggies came away with the win.
Gibson threw six complete innings, giving-up four runts, two earned, on seven hits. She struckout six Nevada batters.
"I thought Nevada played really well," Evans continued. "I like the way we fought back. We're a young team. We stayed relaxed and fought our way back. That, to me, shows a lot of maturity."
"Megan (Gibson) is incredible," Evans concluded. "And Lisa (Gorzycki) she's a real fighter, the way she came in and closed the game out; she deserves a lot of credit too."
Scarborough was named State Farm Player of the Game as she threw a complete game shutout and went 3 for 6 with a homerun and three RBI.
The Aggies will have two games on Saturday, the first against Syracuse at 12:30 p.m.and the second against No. 5 Arizona at 5:30 p.m. Both games will be played at the Tempe Sports Complex.
You can access live audio and stats for this weekend's games by logging on to AggieAthletics.com
