Texas A&M
29-8, 0
Iowa State
16-12, 0
No. 20 Aggies Blank Iowa State in Five
Apr 02, 2011 | Softball
April 2, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 20 Texas A&M softball team (29-8, 2-1 Big 12) shut out Iowa State (16-12, 1-2 Big 12) in a five-inning 8-0 victory, Saturday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
Two hits in the bottom of the first gave the Aggies an early 4-0 lead. With two outs and two on base, freshman Rhi Kliesing in for the first run of the game.
With a runner on each bag, senior Kelsey Spittler pounded a pitch that looked like it was going yard, but slammed off the top of the wall in right-center field. The double cleared the bases and the left fielder picked up three RBI as the Aggies stretched to a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, junior Natalie Villarreal led off with a double to left-center. Freshman Cassie Tysarczyk sent her to third on a long single down the right field line. The ISU right fielder overthrew home in an attempt to keep Villarreal from scoring, and Tysarczyk took second on the error.
Villarreal scored on a wild pitch by Cyclone thrower Rachel Zabriskie that also advanced Tysarczyk to third before another wild pitch sent her home for the 6-0 lead. Freshman Kaydee Rayburn, who had entered to run for Kliesing after the senior drew a walk, scored the final run of the inning on an illegal pitch.
Sophomore Mel Dumezich allowed only one hit by Iowa State in five innings in the circle. In the top of the fourth, first baseman Erica Miller singled to right-center. She was left stranded at second.
Leading by seven in the bottom of the fifth, the Aggies pushed ahead for their 15th run-rule of the season. Spittler put a base hit in right field to start the half-inning. She took second on a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher by sophomore Brittany Walker and reached third on an illegal pitch before Kliesing drew her third walk of the day to force the walkoff run.
Dumezich (16-5) picked up her eighth shutout of the season with the win, fanning seven batters in the effort. Zabriskie (10-7) suffered the loss, giving up seven earned runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Aggies travel to Austin Wednesday for the first softball game of the 2011 State Farm Lone Star Showdown. First pitch will be thrown at 6:30 p.m. at McCombs Field. Log on to AggieAthletics.com for more information on Texas A&M softball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dumezich, Mel (16-5)
L: Zabriskie, Rachel (10-7)
Base Running:
HBP: Varela, Dalyn 1
Batting:
2B: Villarreal, Natalie 1 ; Kliesing, Rhiannon 1 ; Spittler, Kelsey 1
RBI: Kliesing, Rhiannon 1 ; Garza, Amber 1 ; Spittler, Kelsey 3
SH: Walker, Brittany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Villarreal, Natalie 1 ; Tysarczyk, Cassie 1 ; Kliesing, Rhiannon 1 ; Rayburn, Kaydee 1 ; Dumezich, Mel 1 ; Garza, Amber 1 ; Morgan, Nicole 1 ; Spittler, Kelsey 1
SB: Villarreal, Natalie 1 ; Rayburn, Kaydee 1
HBP: Kliesing, Rhiannon 1
