#23 Softball Sweeps South Carolina With Two Sunday Wins

Sunday, March 22

College Station

11:00 AM

Texas A&M

23-7, 5-3

South Carolina

21-11, 2-6

South Carolina

Texas A&M

Mar 22, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Texas A&M Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 23 Texas A&M softball team recorded its first sweep of 2015 with two victories over South Carolina in a Sunday double header. With the wins, the Aggies move to 6-3 in conference play and 24-7 overall on the season.

South Carolina opened the first game of the day with two runs in the top of the first. A quick play on a throw from left field through short stop to freshman Ashley Walters at home was able to tag out a second runner heading home to cut off the Gamecock attack.

The Aggies chipped into the SC lead when senior Brittany Clopton sped home on an RBI single up the middle from freshman Tori Vidales. Only able to scratch one across home, A&M stranded Vidales and freshman Ashley Walters at first and second and trailed 2-1.

Two scoreless innings passed, with the two ball clubs combining to leave three runners on base.

The Gamecocks widened the gap with a solo home run to open the fourth inning but senior Rachel Fox and the Aggie defense dug in their heels, closing the visitor portion of the fourth with two strikeouts and junior Alex Masek making a quick play on a foul ball from right field.

A&M went down in order in the bottom of the fourth and sophomore Abby Donnell came onto relieve Fox to start the next inning.

After a leadoff single, Donnell responded with her first strikeout of the game and two quick outs sent the Aggies back out on offense.

Freshman Erica Russell lead off with a full count walk and a single through the right side from Masek put Aggie runners on first and second. Back at the top of the order, Clopton sent a ball through the left side and both Clopton and Masek advanced to scoring position on the throw after Russell was caught out coming home. An RBI single to left field from freshman Kristen Cuyos sent Masek home and Clopton took advantage of a wild pitch for the tying run, knotting the score at three each.

With the game all tied up, neither team could get any offense going in the sixth inning. The Gamecocks led off with a single and Walters followed by making an impressive catch on a bunt for the first out. A single to left field put runners on first and second, with both moving into scoring position on a passed ball. Donnell dug in to retire the next two runners and get the Aggies out of a late game jam with no runs scored.

Back on offense, the Aggies fell behind two quick outs before junior Breanna Dozier stepped up to the plate and continued her clutch hitting, sending a bomb sailing over right field for her second walk-off homer in as many weekends, and securing a 4-3 victory for Texas A&M.

Dozier has gone yard four times in the last four outing for the Aggies to move into second on the team with five total homers.

With the series victory clinched, junior Katie Marks got the start in the second game of the double header, facing off against her former teammates.

The Aggies took their first early game lead of the weekend on a solo shot home run from Vidales, her eighth of the season and second on the weekend.

A&M widened the gap with a three run third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Donnell and Clopton got on base with back-to-back bunts and a four pitch walk to Dozier loaded the bases. Walters sent a ball to deep left field for a double, scoring Donnell and Clopton. With two runners in scoring position, sophomore April Ryan dropped a single right into the left field hole, allowing Dozier to score the fourth run of the game.

Sophomore Celena Massey entered to catch in the top of the fourth, moving Walters to the designated player spot. The Gamecocks cut into the Aggie lead with a two-run homer to make it a 4-2 game.

Fox took over in the top of the fifth and allowed her only two hits in the same inning but forced the Gamecocks to leave them on the bags.

The Aggies scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Cuyos led off with a walk and was joined on the bags by Vidales. Cuyos moved to third on a fly ball from Dozier and a sacrifice fly from Walters drove home Cuyos and the run.

With the sweep the Aggies move into a tie for fourth place in the SEC, even with Georgia and both programs are tied with Auburn for most conference wins.

Coach Evans Post Game Sound
“It's really tough to win three in a row and you rarely see sweeps in our conference. I'm excited to do it and I'm excited that we took care of business at home. We took advantage of some early opportunities in the second game and we fought hard all weekend. We weren't perfect and made some mistakes on defense, stranded some runners, but at the end of the day this is a ball club that is fighting really hard. Our pitchers are giving us every chance in the world to win games and that's all you can ask for.”

Let's Hear a Hullabaloo…
… for a team effort. Abby Donnell, Rachel Fox and Katie Marks combined for eighteen strikeouts while walking only six, with each member of the pitching staff coming way with a win on the weekend and Fox earning a save on Sunday. The Aggies came from behind in the first two games of the series and the pitching staffs were a large part of keeping the ball club in each game. Gig 'em, pitchers!

Coach Evans on Donnell:
“I thought Donnell was so terrific today and kept South Carolina off balance. We needed to give a different look and Abby came out and shut it down, giving them fits. It's so impressive what she's doing, she hasn't pitched since the first tournament of the year before last weekend, she came in today and earned her second win of the season. I love her demeanor and composure.”

Up Next
The Aggies will head to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide of Alabama. The first game of the weekend can be heard on 1620 AM as well as through the RadioAggieland app and will be broadcast on the SEC Network +. For all the hits, pitches and everything in between during the 2015 softball season, follow @AggieSoftball on Twitter and at 12thMan.com.