Texas A&M
Missouri
Aggies Sweep Missouri, 8-0
Apr 23, 2006 | Softball
April 23, 2006
Rocky Spencer, Jami Lobpries and Megan Gibson all had a 2-for-3 day at the plate to help the 15th-ranked Texas A&M softball team (32-13, 11-4) breeze by the Missouri Tigers (20-22, 4-8) in an 8-0, five-inning run-rule on Senior Day at the Aggie Softball Complex.
?It was a great win for us,? commented A&M head coach Jo Evans. ?Offensively we really started to come around in the fourth inning. Gibson got us going and then you could see our kids gain confidence. I was especially pleased to see the adjustments our kids made at the plate. The pitches they were getting out on before were the pitches they were really driving today. I was really pleased to see them take a step back and make the adjustment and then move forward in the game.?
The Aggies posted their first run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Megan Gibson. The home run was her 11th of the season and 29th career, moving her into a third place tie with former Aggie short stop Adrian Gregory for A&M career home runs.
A seven-run fifth inning sealed A&M?™s 11th conference win of 2006. Jamie Hinshaw, who ended the day going 2-for-4, doubled to center to start the inning off. Sharonda McDonald followed-up with an infield single of her own moving, Hinshaw to third. Gibson got her second RBI of the game, 33rd of the season, on a single to left. After a pitching change in which the Tigers brought in reliever Megan Dennis, Aggie pitcher, Amanda Scarborough drew a walk, loading the bases. Holly Ridley then hit a grounder to short stop Alli Kennewell for an RBI. Spencer recorded her second hit of the game on double that cleared the bases. Lobpries launched her third home run of the season to bring in two more A&M runs.
After Lobpries?™ homer, Jen Bruck, Missouri?™s starting pitcher, re-entered in the circle. Bruck coaxed a pop-up from Patti Wunderlich, but allowed a single by designated player Beverly Rowan. Pinch runner, Kristine Test scored the walk-off run that pushed the Aggies up 8-0 on a double into the left center field gap by Hinshaw.
Scarborough improved to 15-6 with the complete game shutout, her 16th complete game of the season and sixth shutout. She gave up four hits, one walk and struck out two.
?I thought Amanda did a nice job buckling down in tough situations with runners in scoring position,? Evans said. ?She did the same thing Gibson did yesterday which was to get us out of some jams and really set the tone in the field.?
Bruck (18-16) was charged with the loss after giving up the solo shot to Gibson in the fourth. She worked four and a third innings allowing five runs on nine hits. Bruck struck out three while walking one Aggie batter.
Dennis lasted only one-third of an inning and was charged with three runs on two hits and one free pass.
Spencer was named State Farm Player of the Game after her 2-for-3 day at the plate and being honored by Coach Evans as the Aggies?™ only senior on the squad.
The Aggies will conclude the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday when they host the No. 2 Texas Longhorns with a 6 p.m. game scheduled to air on ESPNU.
In addition to the game being available on ESPNU, live audio and stats will be available at AggieAthletics.com. Fans attending the game can listen to the broadcast inside the stadium on 89.9 FM.
Tickets for the game against Texas will available at the gate and by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.
