#23 Softball Wins Both on Second Day of Mary Nutter Classic

Saturday, February 21

Cathedral City, Calif.

11:30 AM

Texas A&M

9-4

UCSB

3-10

Texas A&M

UCSB

Feb 21, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Texas A&M Athletics

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Junior Katie Marks threw a complete-game to open the day in a 7-0 victory over UCSB and the Aggies took home a gritty 2-1 win over Cal State Fullerton in their second contest of the day.

Junior Katie Marks (3-0) gave up just six hits and one walk in her first complete game of the season.

The Aggies took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never gave up their lead. A leadoff walk put senior Brittany Clopton on first, where she quickly notched her first stolen base of the game and moved to second. Junior Alex Masek flied out to left field but a throwing error allowed Clopton to come all the way home for the first run of the game. The second hit of the game came on a single up the middle from sophomore April Ryan, who stole second before sophomore Reagan Boenker was walked to join her on the bags.

Junior Cali Lanphear hit a triple right up the middle, scoring Ryan and Boenker to give the Aggies a 3-0 lead. After a pitching change from UCSB, the final A&M run of the opening inning would come on an RBI single from freshman Ashley Walters.

UCSB threatened in the bottom of the first with two singles but left their runners stranded with one in scoring position.

Neither team could get any offense going in the next inning, with both going down in order to as the game headed into the third.

Texas A&M put its fifth run on the board in the third, scoring when Ryan stole home. Unable to continue the momentum, the Aggies stranded two on base.

Leading 5-0, scored their final two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Freshman Kristen Cuyos lead off with a single to center field, her first hit over the weekend. Clopton reached on a fielder's choice but Cuyos was caught out at second. A sac bunt from Masek moved Clopton to scoring position and wild pitch put her on third. Freshman Tori Vidales launched a streaking ball over the left field wall for her fifth homerun of the season, giving the Aggies a seven run lead.

The Gauchos threatened in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with only one out. Marks got A&M out of the jam, striking one batter out swinging and a speeding catch from Ryan took care of the final out.

Marks allowed only one walk in her third victory of the season and it didn't come until the sixth inning. Vidales and Lanphear led the team in RBIs with two each and Walters led the team in hits for the first time this season.

The Aggies won their second game of the day over Cal State Fullerton by a 2-1 score, scoring in the second inning and holding a lead until the sixth.

A solo shot homer over the center field wall by Lanphear was the only hit of the second inning and gave the Aggies the lead run. Neither team could muster up any offense until late in the game, when Cal State Fullerton and the Aggies score single runs.

The Aggie defense and pitcher Rachel Fox got A&M out of several tough spots to maintain their lead, closing out three innings with the bases loaded and stranding 14 Titan runners.

The Titans opened the game by loading the bags on an error and two walks, but a catch by Clopton got the Aggies out of a jam.

In the top of the fourth, the Titans had loaded the bags with one out before Masek sprinted in to get under a fly ball to centerfield and Clopton got the inning ending catch in left field.

Cal State Fullerton threatened again in the top of the sixth, loading the bags after two hits and scoring on an RBI single to short stop. A quick catch by Vidales and a throw to home for the second out on a fielder's choice kept the bases loaded but saved the go ahead run. A single to Cuyos led to the Aggies pick off the lead runner for the final out.

With the game tied at one, Clopton grounded out before Masek stepped up to the plate and bunted to take first before stealing second. In the three hole, Vidales popped up to third base but a wild throw sent Masek spinning her wheels and she crossed home plate to give the Aggies the final lead at 2-1.

Fox (6-3) and the Aggie defense stood strong in the final inning, allowing only one hit and forcing the Titans to leave a runner on base.

Let's Hear a Hullabaloo…
… for all around hard work. Junior Alex Masek has been a standout for the Aggies at the Mary Nutter Classic, with four hits on ten at bats for two runs and one walk, putting the ball in play eleven times. She's one-for-one on stolen bases and a perfect fielding weekend with four putouts. Hard work goes a long way. Gig 'em, Alex!

Up Next
The Aggies face Syracuse and Stanford on their final day at the Mary Nutter Classic, with the first pitch coming at 11:00 a.m. and their second game of the day getting underway at 1:30 p.m.. Follow along with live stats at 12thMan.com and @AggieSoftball on Twitter for all the hits, pitches and everything in between during the 2015 softball season.