COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M softball team shutout the Temple Leopards behind a pair of one-hitters, 9-0 and 11-0, Tuesday evening at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The pitching combination of Lexi Smith and Hannah Mayo stifled the Leopard bats in the lid-lifter. Smith allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter, before mowing down 15 of the final 16 batters she faced. Smith fanned five before Mayo took care of the final two innings, allowing just one walk and striking out two.
The Aggies scored nine, piling up a pair of four-run frames in the first and second. Riley Sartain drove in half of the first inning runs on a double to right center and Walters followed in the second with a two-RBI single to center. The Aggies brought eight to the plate in each frame.
In the night cap, the Aggies attacked early in the first inning off Leopard righty Sidney Holman as the Maroon & White were aided by two errors and pushed across six. Erica Russell provided the big hit on a two-run single while Ashley Walters and Maddie MacGrandle drove in one.
Texas A&M plated two more in the second before adding one in the third and a two-spot in their final time at bat in the fifth. The home bats did it all in game two without the aid of an extra-base hit, tallying 13 singles in game two.
That was more than enough for MacGrandle, who mowed down the first 11 Leopards she faced until a two-out walk in the fourth. MacGrandle worked out of the jam escaping with a pair of Leopards on. She took a no-hitter into the fifth before giving up a double to right. The freshman struck out two and induced 11 groundball outs. Mayo came in to work the final two frames again, shutting down the Leopards facing the minimum.
Walters, starting each end of the doubleheader behind the plate, contributed on offense as well reaching in every plate appearances and driving in four runs. Payton McBride came off the bench in both games and drove in a run in each game. Kaitlyn Alderink, hitting out of the two hole, scored in each of her four times at the dish.
The Aggies return to action Thursday for a doubleheader against the Galveston College Whitecaps. The first game is set for 4:00 with the finale at 6:00 as the Aggies look to remain unbeaten in fall play.
Texas A&M Quotes
Head Coach Jo Evans
On tonight's games…
"I thought our pitchers threw well. I was really pleased with our starting performances in the circle so far this season. They are able to throw strikes and get outs. They're doing everything we are asking them to do. Offensively, we are hitting throughout the lineup. We are doing a great job of scoring early and getting our opponents on their heels."
On getting better offensively…
"I think we picked up runners and gotten RBI early when we needed to and separate ourselves. I felt we were attacking the ball better today than we have in our previous games."
The pitching combination of Lexi Smith and Hannah Mayo stifled the Leopard bats in the lid-lifter. Smith allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter, before mowing down 15 of the final 16 batters she faced. Smith fanned five before Mayo took care of the final two innings, allowing just one walk and striking out two.
The Aggies scored nine, piling up a pair of four-run frames in the first and second. Riley Sartain drove in half of the first inning runs on a double to right center and Walters followed in the second with a two-RBI single to center. The Aggies brought eight to the plate in each frame.
In the night cap, the Aggies attacked early in the first inning off Leopard righty Sidney Holman as the Maroon & White were aided by two errors and pushed across six. Erica Russell provided the big hit on a two-run single while Ashley Walters and Maddie MacGrandle drove in one.
Texas A&M plated two more in the second before adding one in the third and a two-spot in their final time at bat in the fifth. The home bats did it all in game two without the aid of an extra-base hit, tallying 13 singles in game two.
That was more than enough for MacGrandle, who mowed down the first 11 Leopards she faced until a two-out walk in the fourth. MacGrandle worked out of the jam escaping with a pair of Leopards on. She took a no-hitter into the fifth before giving up a double to right. The freshman struck out two and induced 11 groundball outs. Mayo came in to work the final two frames again, shutting down the Leopards facing the minimum.
Walters, starting each end of the doubleheader behind the plate, contributed on offense as well reaching in every plate appearances and driving in four runs. Payton McBride came off the bench in both games and drove in a run in each game. Kaitlyn Alderink, hitting out of the two hole, scored in each of her four times at the dish.
The Aggies return to action Thursday for a doubleheader against the Galveston College Whitecaps. The first game is set for 4:00 with the finale at 6:00 as the Aggies look to remain unbeaten in fall play.
Texas A&M Quotes
Head Coach Jo Evans
On tonight's games…
"I thought our pitchers threw well. I was really pleased with our starting performances in the circle so far this season. They are able to throw strikes and get outs. They're doing everything we are asking them to do. Offensively, we are hitting throughout the lineup. We are doing a great job of scoring early and getting our opponents on their heels."
On getting better offensively…
"I think we picked up runners and gotten RBI early when we needed to and separate ourselves. I felt we were attacking the ball better today than we have in our previous games."