Texas A&M
Arizona
No. 21 Texas A&M Upsets No. 10 Arizona
Feb 27, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 27, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M senior Holly Ridley's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the No. 21 Aggie softball team to a 6-5 upset of the 10th-ranked Arizona Wildcats in front of 1,162 fans at the Aggie Softball Complex on Friday night.
Ridley's homer was her third extra-base hit of the game and seventh long ball of the year and it could not have come at a better time as the Aggies (11-7) rallied back from a three-run deficit twice to down the Wildcats (13-3) in extra innings.
"I'm really proud of our team and we needed this more than anything I can think of," said head coach Jo Evans. "We've had our ups and downs so far this season, but we did say prior to the game that they were going to score some runs and that we just needed to be patient, not panic and understand that we can hit with them."
"It's exciting to have Arizona play us at home and the crowd was fantastic. They were in it and they gave us a great home-field advantage. I told our team not to wait for the crowd to get us into the game, but for us to get the crowd into the game. The 12th Man showed up and we really appreciate it."
The game was scoreless through the first two innings and in the top of the third Lini Koria's three-run home run to center field put Arizona on the scoreboard first, 3-0.
The Aggies responded in the bottom of the inning as sophomore Natalie Villarreal and Ridley hit line-drive doubles to right center. Ridley's hit plated Villarreal and a two-out single down the third-base line by sophomore Kelsey Spittler saw Ridley cross the plate and brought A&M within one run, 3-2.
After a scoreless fourth frame, back-to-back home runs by Sam Banister and Stacie Chambers put the Cats back up by three in the fifth.
Arizona was ready to strike again with two outs in the top of the sixth, but freshman Kelsea Orsak stretched out on a two-out, line-drive to the left center gap and used all of her 5-10 length to make a diving catch.
"Kelsea Orsak making the diving catch in left-center field was the play of the game and it gave us a chance to win. She's a true freshman out there trying to learn her way and I couldn't be more proud of her."
The Aggies carried the momentum from the Orsak's catch into the bottom of the inning ripping three doubles and scoring three runs. Spittler led off with a two-base hit to left center and scored off of junior Alex Reynold's double down the right-field line. Sophomore Kara Rau laced a single off the third baseman's glove to plate Reynolds and Villarreal hit her second double of the game to get one more across and even the score, 5-5.
Both teams went down in order in the seventh to move the game into extra innings.
Brittany Lastrapes led off the top of the eighth with a single and moved to second after a walk. Banister then singled up the middle and Lastrapes was waved home, but Morrow picked up the ball at the edge of the infield behind second base, turned and gunned down the potential go ahead run at the plate.
"Macie was our defensive player of the game tonight," continued Evans. "Rhi (Kliesing) also did a tremendous job to bear down and give us a chance to win."
The Aggies made quick work of Arizona in the top of the ninth as Kliesing fanned her 10th batter of the game. Kliesing went the distance to pick up her seventh win of the season.
Ridley was the first batter in the bottom of the ninth and with a 2-2 count sent the ball sailing over the right-field wall.
A&M remains at the Aggie Softball Complex all weekend facing Monmouth at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday followed by the second of a three-game series against No. 10 Arizona at 6 p.m. Fans can bring their ticket stub from the men's basketball game vs. Iowa State for a discounted $3 admission.
