Texas A&M
Penn State
#23 Softball Goes 2-0 on Opening Day of Aggie Classic
Feb 13, 2015 | Softball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 23 Texas A&M softball team opened the home portion of their schedule with two decisive victories over Penn State and Eastern Michigan, 8-0 and 6-1, respectively.
Texas A&M and Penn State played two complete scoreless innings before the Aggies opened the game up, scoring three in the bottom of the third inning.
Senior Brittany Clopton found her way on base on an error and was quickly joined by freshman Tori Vidales to put runners on first and second base. Both runners advanced on stolen bases to give the Aggies two in scoring position with sophomore April Ryan on deck. Ryan struck first for the Maroon & White, hitting her first home run of the season over the center field wall and giving A&M a 3-0 lead over Penn State.
Freshman Ashley Walters and junior Breanna Dozier followed with consecutive singles but Walters was tagged out at second, leaving Dozier alone on the bags. Sophomore Celena Massey found her way to first after being hit by a pitch, advancing Dozier, and a walk from junior Cali Lanphear loaded the bases. The Aggies were unable to capitalize and stranded three runners on a pop up from sophomore Reagan Boenker to end the inning.
Two ground balls and a strikeout from starting pitcher senior Rachel Fox helped the Aggies make quick work of the Nittany Lions before heading back to bat in the bottom of the fourth.
Clopton opened the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff walk and found her way home on the next play, with Walters advancing to first on a couple of throwing errors, to give A&M a 4-0 lead. A solo homerun for freshman Tori Vidales, her second homer of 2014, propped the Aggies up to 5-0.
Up next, Ryan was walked and found herself at third base after stealing second and a wild pitch before junior Alex Masek was walked and both runners rounded the bases on their way home on a throwing error, taking a 7-0 lead. Dozier, Massey and Lanphear loaded the bases again with a fly out from Boenker bringing Dozier home for the 8th and final run of the game.
Fox took the mound in the top of the fifth and the Aggie defense stifled the last hopes of the Nittany Lions, claiming an 8-0 run-rule victory after Penn State couldn't take advantage of two hits and stranded two runners.
The second game of the Aggies' opening day doubleheader saw A&M facing the 0-1 Eastern Michigan Eagles, who opened their season with a loss to Missouri State.
After a scoreless first, EMU struck first on a solo homerun from senior pitcher Lindsay Rich. A&M evened the score in the bottom of the second with an RBI fielder's choice single from Clopton allowed Dozier to cross the plate.
Junior Katie Marks came on to relieve starter Lauren Ainsley in the top of the third and the Aggie defense got out of a tight spot with runners in scoring position on second and third behind a strikeout from Marks and catch by Lanphear. Ryan hit a long double to center field and came home on the next play, an RBI double from Walters, giving the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
The fourth inning went by scoreless and the Aggies widened their lead with four runs and three hits in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan opened the inning with a homerun to take a 3-1 lead over the Eagles. Walters, Lanpher and freshman Erin Houthoofd, seeing her first action of the season, all scored on RBI doubles from Clopton (2 RBI double) and Lanphear (RBI double) for the final points of the game and a 6-1 victory.
The Aggies (5-2) will be back in action tomorrow at 3:00 and 5:15 p.m. against Eastern Michigan (0-2) and Penn State (4-3), respectively, at the Aggie Softball Complex. Parking will be $5 all day due to conflicts with men's basketball and baseball.
