Texas A&M
UNLV
No. 19 Aggies Pick Up Two Hard-Fought Wins
Feb 26, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 26, 2010
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The No. 19 Texas A&M softball team bounced back with two hard-fought, one-run victories in the Cathedral City Classic on Thursday evening at the Big League Dreams Sports Park. The Aggies defeated UNLV, 4-3, before going eight innings for a 7-6 win over San Diego State.
Senior Macie Morrow delivered both game-winning hits to even the Aggies' (12-3) record to 2-2 on the weekend.
"I'm so proud of our players," said A&M head coach Jo Evans. "We really learned something about our team tonight. We made it a little difficult on ourselves, but we played hard and I really loved our fight. It felt more like our ball club today."
After three scoreless innings against UNLV (8-4), the Aggies (12-3) broke through in the top of the fourth with a three-run home run to left from senior Bailey Schroeder. Freshmen Melissa Dumezich and Sydney Shannon were on base for Schroeder's first homer of the year.
The Rebels answered and evened the score in the fifth with Marissa Nichols' three-run shot to left.
In the next inning, A&M regained the lead by plating a run. Schroeder drew a two-out walk and sophomore Kelsea Orsak lined the first pitch she saw to right center, allowing Schroeder to speed around to third base. Morrow then scored Schroeder with an infield single to put the Aggies ahead, 4-3.
Dumezich (1-0) relieved junior Rhi Kliesing in the fifth inning and earned her first career win in the circle. From Whiting, Ind., Dumezich did not give up a single run or hit, walked three and struck out one in two and two-thirds innings of work.
Traci Odegard (2-2) threw six innings and picked up the loss. She allowed four runs, eight hits, four walks and added seven K's.
In their second game of the day, the Aggies scored early and put up two runs in the top of the second against San Diego State. Kliesing led off with a chop single through the right side and senior Alex Reynolds followed with a walk. Two passed balls later, Kliesing slid into home safely and Reynolds stood on third base. With one out, Shannon then sliced a worm-burner up the middle to plate Reynolds.
The Aztecs cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning with a lead-off, solo home run from Justeen Maeva.
In the third, the Aggies extended their lead. Kliesing plated Morrow with a base hit up the middle. Reynolds followed suit with another RBI single up the middle to score freshman Meagan May and make the score 4-1.
A&M tacked on a run in the fourth when Kliesing drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk and allowed Schroeder to cross the plate for the 5-1 A&M lead.
In the fourth frame, San Diego State loaded the bases with two walks and a base hit and scored a single tally with an infield groundout.
The Aztecs had two runners in scoring position with just one out in the fifth, but the Aggies worked their way out of the inning and the score remained 5-2.
Texas A&M added another run in the sixth. Morrow led off with a walk and was plated with an RBI double to left center by May.
With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the inning, San Diego State rallied and scored four runs to tie the game at six apiece.
Both sides were retired in order in the seventh forcing A&M's first extra-inning game this season.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, junior Andrea Tovar was placed on second base to begin the eighth frame. She was sacrificed to third by Schroeder and with two down, Morrow drove home the game-winner with a line-drive single up the middle.
Sophomore Rebecca Arbino (5-2) started in circle and reentered to earn the win. She threw six innings, allowed five hits, two runs, four walks and struck out four.
"What a great story tonight with Becca," said Evans. "I'm really proud of her. She went back out there with fire and showed really great poise and presence in the circle. I loved seeing her gut it up and get out there and get her win."
The Aggies close out action in the Cathedral City Classic tomorrow at noon against No. 10 Stanford.
