No. 22 Softball Run Rules Both Opponents on First Day of TAMU Invite

Friday, February 27

College Station

3:00 PM

Texas A&M

14-4

Boston Univ

0-7

Boston University

Texas A&M

Feb 27, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Texas A&M Athletics

The Texas A&M pitching staff had an outstanding day on Friday, allowing only four hits in ten innings of play as the Aggies crushed Boston University and Illinois State, 8-0 and 16-1, respectively, on the first day of action at the Texas A&M Invitational.

Junior Katie Marks got the start against BU, allowing one hit and walking just one batter, with three strikeouts in her fifth victory. Senior Rachel Fox stepped into the circle first against Illinois State and fanned seven batters in four innings, including four straight strikeouts, while allowing just a single hit. Senior Lauren Ainsley stepped in to relieve Fox in the fifth, allowing only two hits and closing the game strong.

The Aggies opened their final tournament of February against Boston University, striking in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly from junior Cali Lanphear with the bases loaded to score senior Brittany Clopton.

The second inning went by scoreless by both ball clubs and the Aggies struck again in the bottom of the third. Freshman Tori Vidales got on base with a single through the left side and was sent home on an RBI double down the right field line from sophomore April Ryan.

Riding a 2-0 lead, neither team could get any offense going in the fourth inning before A&M broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth. Vidales opened the inning with a leadoff walk and was soon joined on the bags by Lanphear, who reached first on a bunt. Vidales found her way to third on a throwing error and Lanphear stole second to put both runners in scoring position. A single down the left field line by Ryan sent Vidales speeding off toward home plate before Ryan made her way to second on the throw. The final run of the inning came on a single through the left side by freshman Ashley Walters caused Lanphear to make a break for home.

Marks and the Aggie defense shut down any possibility of a Terrier attack in the top of the fifth, sending the Boston batters down 1-2-3.

The Aggies completed their first victory of the day in the bottom of the fifth, extending their five-run lead to eight. Vidales led off with another walk and an error at second base put Vidales and Ryan at the corners with Walters up to bat. Walters stepped up to the plate and hit the skin off the ball for her first home run and nothing the necessary eight runs for the mercy rule.

The second game of Texas A&M's doubleheader got underway fast and the Aggie attack was nonstop. After Fox and the defense sent the first three batters down in order, the offense took the field and was on fire despite the cold and windy conditions.

Clopton led off with a single and was followed by Vidales, who was walked on a full count. Both runners advanced on an illegal pitch and moved into scoring position at second and third base. With two outs, Ryan stepped up to the plate and crushed her first homerun of the weekend, giving the Aggies a 3-0 lead.

After Ryan's base clearing run, Walters was walked and freshman Kristen Cuyos picked up where her hot hitting left off in California, hitting a double to left field. A two RBI double to right center from sophomore Reagan Boenker scored both Walters and Cuyos. A single up the middle from freshman Erica Russell sent Boenker circling the bases for the final run of the first inning.

Holding a 6-0 lead, Fox struck out all three batters in the top of the second, throwing only 13 pitches.

The Aggies scored only one in the second inning, loading the bases on two Redbird errors and a single from Vidales. A ground out to third base from Walters brought Vidales home for a 7-0 lead on a single hit.

After a scoreless third, the Aggies caught fire in the bottom of the fourth, scoring nine runs for a single inning season-high. The action got started with a standup double from junior Alex Masek, who made her way to third on a sacrifice fly from Vidales. Lanphear was walked and stole second before a single through the right side by Ryan called Masek home. With runners on the corners, Walters walked to load the bases for the Aggies. A single to shortstop from Cuyos scored Lanphear and was immediately backed up by a single through the left side from Boenker to send home the ninth and tenth runs.

After a pitching change by Illinois State and staring down two outs, freshman Haley Rebar came on to pinch hit and singled through the right side. Clopton took the bags to run for Rebar and a double down the left field line from freshman Kayla Ober, also pinch hitting, scored Cuyos and Boenker and left the Aggies with runners on second and third. Freshman Erin Houthoofd, fresh off a broken hand, went yard in her first at-bat of the season for the final three runs of the game.

Ainsley came on to relieve Fox in the fifth inning and the Aggies allowed a single run on two hits but closed the Redbird rally off and forced Illinois State to strand two runners.

The Aggies are now riding an eight game winning streak and haven't lost since their midweek match with No. 2 Oregon earlier this month.

Coach Evans Post Game Sound
“I feel really good about our kids. I thought we played really hard today, we got our hacks up there and we didn't get cheated. It's nice to see us hit throughout the lineup and we got great pitching today out of Katie Marks, Rachel Fox and Lauren Ainsley. I talked to our ball club before and we're talking about being a tougher team and showing grit and toughness. I told them, tonight was going to be all about toughness because of the cold. We had a chance tonight to show toughness, the kids didn't complain once. They got out there and had a blast hitting, had fun playing the game. I'm really pleased with the way we approached today, and it's not easy with wind chills in the low thirties and do what we did. Our pitchers and hitters handled it very, very well.”

Let's Hear a Hullabaloo…
… for freshman bombs. In a day that saw 24 runs scored, two freshman scored their first homeruns. Erin Houthoofd went yard against Illinois State and Ashley Walters hit a screamer over the wall against Boston University, with Houthoofd's run coming in her first at-bat of the season, and Walters, who has been close, finally getting all of the ball. Gig 'em, fish!

Up Next
The Aggies host Illinois State and Boston University on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., respectively. 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.