#23/24 Aggies Take Final Game of LSU Series, 5-2

Monday, April 20

Baton Rouge, La.

6:00 PM

Texas A&M

34-14, 9-9

LSU

41-6, 13-5

Texas A&M

LSU

Apr 20, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

BATON ROUGE, La. - The No. 23/24 Texas A&M softball team (34-14, 9-9 SEC) took an early lead against LSU (41-6, 13-5 SEC) Monday night and took the final game of the series, 5-2.

Senior Rachel Fox went the distance, allowing five hits and fanning two but giving up just one walk in her 19^th win of the year.

After a scoreless first, the Aggie bats got hot in the top of the second. Sophomore Celena Massey led off with a walk and junior Breanna Dozier followed up by crushing a double up the middle to put two Aggies in scoring position quickly. Freshman Ashley Walters reached on a fielding error after a sky high hit to load the bases. The Tigers got two quick outs but senior Brittany Clopton battled before drawing a full count walk, forcing Massey home for the first lead of the game.

Fox retired the LSU side in order in the second, giving the Aggies their first lead of the weekend at 1-0. Back-to-back walks to Vidales and Massey quickly put two aboard and prompted a pitching change from LSU, the first time during the series a Tiger pitcher wouldn't go the distance. Another walk issued, this time to Dozier, and the bags were full for the second straight inning. A fielding error allowed freshman Kristen Cuyos to reach first safely and Vidales came home to extend the lead to two.

Ahead 2-0, the A&M defense shut down the LSU attack in order for the third inning in a row.

Neither team got much offense going in the fourth inning, with LSU putting a runner on base for the first time on an Aggie fielding error but the threat wasn't long lived, as a well-timed throw from Walters to Cuyos caught the Tiger stealing and ended the inning.

After going scoreless in the visitor portion of the fifth, freshman Erica Russell entered to play center field, shifting Masek into right. The Tigers loaded the bases, scoring once on an RBI single to left field, before the Aggies got out of the jam behind a throw home from Cuyos and Fox fielding her position.

A solo bomb from LSU in the bottom of the sixth tied the game at two all heading into the final at-bats.

With the game tied in the top of the seventh, Massey drew a full count walk and freshman Erin Houthoofd entered to run at first. Walters followed with a single that dropped into short right field, with freshman Kayla Ober coming on to pinch run, putting two runners on with two gone. Cuyos stepped up to the plate and crushed lucky number seven over the wall for a three-run homer and a 5-2 lead.

Fox and the defense sent the last three batters down in order and, with the win, the Aggies snapped a 30-game home win streak for the Tigers.

Coach Evans Post Game Sound
“To see our team come together and take to heart what I told them after the game last night was great. They were playing great and fighting so hard, I told them we were going to break through tonight and I truly believed it. I'm so proud of our kids and how they fight and how much better we've gotten offensively over the last few weeks. I'm really thrilled for our ball club.

Let's Hear a Hullabaloo
…for lucky number seven. With the ball game tied 2-2, two runners on in the top of the seventh, freshman Kristen Cuyos stepped up to the plate and went yard for the seventh time in her first season, driving home the three winning runs. Gig 'em, Kristen!

Coach Evans on Cuyos:
“I'm really proud of that kid. I thought she had a great night, defensively she made some really nice plays. The one little flare over her back and the play to end the game, both great. For her to get up there in that situation where we needed a big hit, she's a kid that I always think each hit is going to be a big one. She just cranked it. She's such a great kid and great teammate, I love coaching her.”

Up Next
The Aggies head back out on the road, this time to the swamplands of Gainesville to face the Florida Gators at 5 p.m. on Friday. 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.