COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M softball team dropped a pair of games Monday in a doubleheader against the USA Softball Women's National Team at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The Aggies had three hits in game one and sent a runner as far as third base, but couldn't get a run across as they fell to the USA Softball National Team, 3-0.
The USA National Team took an immediate 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Left fielder Michelle Moultrie's leadoff bunt single put her on base before a double to right field by right fielder Kaitlin Cochran sent her around the bags.
A&M's first hit of the game came in the bottom of the second when sophomore Taran Tyler sent a base hit through the right side. Her single pushed senior Lindsey Sisk, who reached on an error, to second base. A two-out walk by sophomore transfer Jenna Stark put Sisk at third, but she was unable to score.
After the USA WNT plated another run on an RBI single, Aggie junior Sydney Shannon singled up the middle with one out in the third. The right fielder was replaced on the base paths by speedy freshman Brittany Clopton, who stole second, but the pinch runner was left stranded.
Junior Brittany Walker sent another base hit bounding past second in the bottom of the fifth but the Aggies' final hit of the game never got them past first, and a double down the left field line by the WNT in the top of the sixth gave Team USA its third-and-final run of the game.
USA pitcher Whitney Canion earned the win in game one, throwing four strikeouts in four complete innings, while giving up two base hits by the Aggies. Dumezich suffered the loss after seven complete innings in the circle. The junior fanned six, and gave up three runs on nine hits.
Sisk's two-out, two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth gave the Aggies a pair of runs in game two. The WNT had a 10-hit game, however, that gave USA Softball 12 runs.
A&M couldn't get past USA pitcher Keilani Ricketts, as she fanned nine batters for each out of the first three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, junior Mel Dumezich snuck a single down the right field line past the ace for the Aggies' first hit of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Tyler led off with a single up the middle. The designated player took second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Nicole Morgan.
Aggie junior Meagan May, playing for the National Team, hit a two-run home run in the top of the second for USA Softball's first two runs of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, May threatened to go yard again, but sophomore left fielder Emily Albus jumped high and snagged the ball as it flew over the wall for an outstanding first out of the inning.
Back-to-back singles by Shannon and senior Natalie Villarreal to lead off in the bottom of the sixth put two Aggies on the bags. Sophomore Cassie Tysarczyk entered to run for Shannon before, with two outs on the board, Sisk powered a single into left-center and picked up two RBI as both Villarreal and Tysarczyk scored.
A six-run seventh inning put the USA WNT up 12-2 over the Aggies, and the home team couldn't respond in the bottom of the inning.
Sisk took the loss in game two after seven innings of work. The right-handed senior tossed two strikeouts and gave up 12 runs on 10 hits. National Team starter Keilani Ricketts struck out nine straight batters in four innings of work, and allowed just one hit for the win.
The Aggies return to the diamond Wednesday to play the first game of the Maroon & White Series at 4 p.m. The annual intra-squad scrimmage is a best-of-five series at the Aggie Softball Complex. To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to AggieAthletics.com.