#23/24 Softball Drops Second Game of LSU Series 6-3

Sunday, April 19

Baton Rouge, La.

6:00 PM

Texas A&M

33-14, 8-9

LSU

41-5, 13-4

Texas A&M

LSU

Apr 19, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

BATON ROUGE, La. - The No. 23/24 Texas A&M softball team (33-14, 8-9 SEC) couldn't mount a comeback against LSU (41-5, 13-4 SEC) Sunday night and dropped the first second game of the series, 6-3.

Junior Katie Marks got the start in the circle, allowing four runs on five hits through two innings.

LSU scratched on across in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead on an RBI single, in a start similar to Saturday's outing.

The Aggies were quick to answer in the visitor portion of the second, as sophomore Celena Massey led off with the first hit of the game for A&M, a hard hit single to short, and freshman Erin Houthoofd came on to run at first. A sacrifice bunt from junior Breanna Dozier moved Houthoofd into scoring position and freshman Ashley Walters's infield single put runners on the corners with junior Alex Masek at the dish. Masek hit a quick ball that, combined with a fielding error, allowed her to reach first and sent Houthoofd blazing home for the tying run.

The Tigers responded in kind, taking back the lead on an RBI single up the middle and adding two more runs on a deep triple to the warning track in center field.

After going down in order in the third, senior Lauren Ainsley came in to make her second relief appearance in as many games, finishing with two runs on two hits in two innings of work.

LSU added to its lead with a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the fourth but Dozier stepped up to the plate and went yard to cut the lead to three, her seventh dinger of the year.

The Tigers tacked on another run on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fourth and pushed the lead back out to four at 6-2.

A&M loaded the bases on in the visitor half of the fifth, with a leadoff single through the left side for Masek, a perfectly placed bunt single from senior Brittany Clopton and a full-count walk issued to junior Cali Lanphear, but were unable to capitalize and left all three on base.

Freshman Kayla Ober entered the circle in the bottom of the fifth inning, making her fifth appearance of the year and third in league play. Ober retired the Tiger side in order and, for the first time all night, held LSU scoreless in a single inning.

Behind 6-2, Dozier led off with a single through the left side and freshman Erica Russell took her place on first base. Cuyos made her first appearance on the bags with a single to left field and Walters earned her first RBI of the night on a double to right center that sent Russell speeding home. With two runners in scoring position, the Aggies were unable to convert and the inning ended with the Aggies trailing by three.

Ober continued her tough play in the circle, allowing a single hit but held the Tigers scoreless for the second straight inning and the Aggies headed into their last at-bats down 6-3.

Freshman Tori Vidales's first hit of the night came at the perfect time, a leadoff single to the left center wall in the top of the final inning, but A&M was unable to advance her and the game ended on a double-play.

Ober finished the night allowing only a single hit and holding off the LSU attack, keeping them scoreless in the final two innings with a single strikeout.

Coach Evans Post Game Sound
“I thought the bottom of our order did a nice job of setting the table. We hit tonight, the difference in the game was timely hitting. I thought their defense was having a difficult time with our bunts and we needed to put the ball down and in play with runners on base to make their defense made a difficult decision. LSU is a great ball club and so you can't give them openings that extend the game for our pitchers. We had our chances in this game, we out hit LSU, and didn't get a win to show for it. I was pleased to see the way our kids answered back and kept us in the game.”

Let's Hear a Hullabaloo
…for rising to the occasion. Freshman Kayla Ober entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth inning and held the Tigers to a single hit in two innings of action, keeping them off base and scoreless in two consecutive innings. Gig 'em, Kayla!

Coach Evans on Ober:
“I thought she did a great job and I keep saying our relievers' job is to get stops for us. Kayla went out and did that. She threw ten pitches in the fifth inning and came back, got her outs quick in the sixth inning. I thought she looked really good and gave LSU a different look. I'm really proud of her, I thought she showed good composure and played good defense out there for herself. You need someone to go out there and bear down to give your team a chance.”

Up Next

The Aggies will face LSU in the final game of the series at 6:00 p.m. on Monday on the SEC Network. 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.