COLLEGE STATION - Dominant play from the beginning put the Maroon team on top as they coasted to a 9-0 victory, evening the series at one apiece before Thursday's rubber match.
Lauren Ainsley took the mound for Maroon to open the game, retiring her first three opponents in 1-2-3 fashion. Brittany Clopton and Breanna Dozier managed to get on base for Maroon in the bottom of the first but both were left stranded on a couple of groundouts to close the inning with both teams scoreless.
The White team managed to get two runners on base in the second but Dozier brought down two foul balls near third base to squander any chance they had of getting on the board. Maroon notched their first runs on a two RBI double by April Ryan, who found herself on third after an error at third base. Ryan eventually found her way across homeplate on a stolen base to give Maroon a 3-0 lead.
Ainsley continued her dominance on the mound, allowing no hits in the third with only Erica Russell finding her way to second after being walked and stealing a base. Maroon's defense stayed strong and closed out another scoreless half inning.
Hailey Rebar was first on base in the bottom of the third, reaching first on a 4-0 count. Alex Masek hit a powerful line drive down the left field line to advance both runners and a walk for Clopton loaded the bases. Ryan stepped up to the plate and delivered a huge grand slam, her second homerun of the series, bringing the score to 7-0 and widening the gap.
Three more batters were retired in quick time, as Ainsley unrelentingly continued on the path toward a no-hitter. The bottom of the fourth was uneventful for the Maroon team as well, with the score 7-0 heading into the fifth.
Ainsley wrapped up her no-hitter with three more quick outs, leaving Russell on base after her second walk of the afternoon.
Clopton advanced to first after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second as Ryan went down on a pop up to the center of the field. Dozier's strength and power were on display as she nailed a HR over the fence, bringing Clopton home and ending the game with the score 9-0 to the Maroon team.
Thursday's rubber game will decide more than just team wins the 2014 Maroon & White series. The losers are tasked with cooking the team's annual Holiday Feast while the victors enjoy the spoils.
The Aggies will take the field again on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to close out the series. The final game is free to the public and can be heard live on 95.1-3 The Zone HD and RadioAggieland.com. To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to 12thMan.com and follow @AggieSoftball on Twitter.