April 01, 2007
Joy Davis was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and Megan Gibson hit a three-run home run to hand the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners a 9-4 loss on Sunday afternoon at the OU Softball Complex.
With the win the 2nd-ranked Texas A&M softball team improved to 29-5 on the season and 3-2 in Big 12 while Oklahoma dropped to 38-4 overall and 4-2 in league play. The loss also snapped a 25 home-game winning streak for the Sooners.
?I like the way we came back from a loss and really expected to win today,? A&M head coach Jo Evans commented. ?Yesterday, we had our chances, jumped out and got an early lead but just couldn?â„¢t hang on. Today, we again got runs early and hit throughout our order. It?â„¢s just great to see our kids really settle in and feel good about themselves. It was a great team effort.?
The Aggies jumped on the board early with Gibson?â„¢s career-record tying home run in the top of the first inning. The three-run shot, Gibson?â„¢s 39th, tied her with All-American catcher Selena Collins for the Aggie career lead. Scoring on the long ball were Sharonda McDonald, who reached on a single, marking her 20th consecutive game with a hit and Macie Morrow who drew a walk. Davis would push the A&M lead to 4-0 in the first with a triple that sailed over Sooner right fielder Mariee Mena?â„¢s head. Shortstop Savannah Long tried to throw Davis out at third but the ball scooted behind Norrelle Dickson, allowing Davis to come home.
A&M tacked on its fifth run of the game in the fourth, with bases loaded and no outs, designated player Alex Reynolds hit a sharp grounder at Long, scoring Jamie Hinshaw from third. Hinshaw and Davis both reached on back-to-back bunt singles and Jami Lobpries drew a walk to fill the bases.
For the second time in as many days, the Sooners plated four runs in the fifth frame. Traci Dickenson led-off with a solo home run over the right centerfield fence. Dickson then reached on a single and moved up on an error by Davis. A fielder?â„¢s choice and two singles later, Oklahoma was within one run of tying the ballgame. After a walk to Lindsey Vandever, Scarborough was lifted for freshman left-hander Emily Shadow who coaxed a ground out to third base to end the inning.
Hinshaw scored in the sixth, reaching on a single and coming home on a Lobpries double to left field.
The Aggies drove in three insurance runs in their last at-bat, moving the lead to 9-4. With two outs, Morrow hit a double into right field and moved to third on a booted ball by Long. Gibson drew her 35th walk of the season before Scarborough lined a triple into the left field corner. Scarborough came home on a dropped pop-up by first baseman Samantha Ricketts.
Scarborough had tossed four and two-thirds innings before Shadow entered in relief. Scarborough then re-entered to closeout the seventh, earning her 14th win of the season. Overall, Scarborough worked five and two-thirds, giving up four runs, just one earned on eight hits. She struck out one and walked one. Shadow worked an inning a third giving up just one hit in five batters faced.
?I especially thought Emily Shadow did a terrific job in relief today,? Evans said. ?She gave us two solid innings and really helped us get out of a jam.?
Hinshaw ended the day going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Gibson was 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI.
A&M will return home to host Baylor in a single game on Wednesday at the Aggie Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.