Texas A&M
Texas
Aggies Split the Series with No. 14 Texas
Apr 21, 2010 | Softball
April 21, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 21 Texas A&M softball team scored the first run against No. 14 Texas, but gave up two long balls to fall 4-1 on Wednesday night in the State Farm Lone Start Showdown at McCombs Field.
T he Aggies split the two-game series with the Longhorns for the second straight year and dropped to 35-12 and 6-5 in the Big 12. Texas improved to 36-9 and 9-1 in conference play.
"Our kids fought hard tonight," said A&M head coach Jo Evans. "Last time we saw (Blaire) Luna we were swinging at everything. Tonight we did a lot better job and had a lot better approach at the plate. Texas is a great hitting team and I tip my hat to them because they did everything they needed to do to win the ball game."
Right from the start, the Aggies put two base runners on in the top of the first. Senior Alex Reynolds then gave her team a chance to score with a single through the right side. Freshman Meagan May was waved home from second, but a strong throw on target from right fielder Taylor Hoagland beat May to the plate for the final out of the inning.
The Aggies tallied the second hit of the game in the fourth as May led off with a hard-hit single through the legs of Luna in the circle. Pinch runner Andrea Tovar entered the game at first before junior Kelsey Spittler laced a two-out RBI triple off the right center fence to get A&M on the scoreboard first.
The Longhorns, however, answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run to left by Nadia Taylor.
After an Aggie error in the sixth, Lexy Bennett added to Texas' lead with a line-drive, two-run shot to left. The Horns proceeded to load the bases, but A&M got out of the jam for the 4-1 final.
Luna (23-5) struck out 14 for the win, allowing one run on four hits and walking two.
Sophomore Rebecca Arbino (18-8) was saddled with the loss. She threw five and one-third innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked two and struck out two.
"Becca showed a lot of fight and gave our team belief that we could stay in the game," said Evans.
Each team tallied four hits on the night and Bennett led all hitters going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. May, Reynolds, Spittler and freshman Melissa Dumezich each tallied hits for A&M.
The Aggies return home Saturday for their final weekend series of the year. A&M faces No. 11 Missouri at 1 p.m. Saturday before a nationally televised game on ESPN Sunday at 2 p.m. A&M's three seniors will also be honored following Sunday's game.
"It's going to be a great series," commented Evans. "Missouri is another team that hits the ball well. They are going to score some runs, but we can stay with them offensively. It's going to be an exciting weekend, especially playing on ESPN on Senior Day."
