Nothing to Hang Their Heads About

Texas A&M went to Gainesville with one objective. They aimed to reach Oklahoma City for the second straight season. They were one out away from doing what they set out to do. It wasn't meant to be.

There were doubts and doubters prior to the Super Regional. Florida is the No. 2 national seed for many reasons. The Gators were 53-8 entering the Super Regional, including a 20-4 mark in the SEC. They won the conference regular season and tournament championships, utilizing a patient and potent offense and two of the most dominant pitchers in the country.

On top of that, Aggie Softball had yet to defeat Florida in Gainesville. Earlier this season, the Gators swept the Aggies in the second conference series of the year, outscoring A&M 23-4 in the process.

All of those factors made A&M a heavy underdog in the eyes of many.

That "many" obviously didn't include Coach Evans, her staff, her players, or the Aggie faithful who made the trip to Gainesville over the weekend. Texas A&M went to win. What happened back in March was not going to happen again, and the Aggies made it clear from the beginning that they meant business.

A&M held a 4-2 advantage in game one before a devastating seventh inning the Aggies won't soon forget. Florida rallied with three runs in the frame, using a pair of errors and bases loaded walks to steal a 5-4 victory. Only two of Florida's five runs were earned. It was a deflating loss. A&M knew they gave the game away, but there was no time to feel sorry for themselves. They had less than 24 hours to regroup.

It was about toughness and resolve, and the Aggies showed plenty of that over the weekend. 

Trailing 4-2 in the fifth inning of game two, Tori Vidales smoked a 3-run homer off of Aleshia Ocasio to lift the Aggies to a 5-4 win. It marked the first-ever victory for Aggie softball in Gainesville. Vidales also broke the school's career runs record with the game-winning homer.
"Tori does what Tori does," remarked Jo Evans following Friday's win. "She just relishes that opportunity to be up there in that clutch situation."

Ocasio entered the super regional with a 1.14 ERA. The five runs and nine hits by A&M on Friday were the most she has allowed in a game this season.  

Payton McBride earned the win on the mound in game two. A night earlier, McBride was called upon in the toughest of situations…tie game, bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. McBride walked in the winning run. Friday was a different story, as the sophomore lefty worked 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts.
"I'm thrilled for Payton," Evans stated. "Thursday was really hard on that kid, and I put her in a really tough situation. For her to be able to come out on Friday, shake that off and keep her composure in front of that crowd, it was a spectacular performance by Payton."    

There are not many teams who could do what A&M did on Friday. It took amazing resilience, as well as physical and mental toughness to bounce back after what happened in game one. It took a complete team effort, and that's exactly what the Aggies got in game two.

"I am really proud of my team," said Evans. "We were able to bounce back from a really disappointing outcome on Thursday, and it showed the maturity in our ball club. This is a team win."  

It all came down to Saturday. If fans didn't have enough excitement and drama through the first two games, Saturday's finale certainly delivered both in a big way.

Trinity Harrington and McBride both saw action in the circle and kept the Aggies in the game. Harrington, by the way, started all three games. She threw 336 pitches on the weekend and battled from start to finish.

Texas A&M showcased some stellar defense, as well, keeping the Florida offense at bay for most of the afternoon. Offensively, the Aggies had 10 hits, tagging Kelly Barnhill with the most hits she's allowed in a game this season. All that was missing was a few key knocks. They came in the seventh.  

Trailing 2-1 and down to their final out, Sarah Hudek singled to keep the inning alive for Vidales. Hudek was brilliant. The sophomore was 7-for-10 in the Super Regional with a homer, three runs scored and three runs batted in against the combination of Barnhill and Ocasio.
With Hudek's single, Texas A&M got just what it wanted, a chance for Vidales. The senior didn't disappoint. On a 3-1 count, Vidales got Ocasio for the second straight game, a bomb to dead center which put the Aggies in front and just three outs away from OKC.
So close, yet so far.

Florida got a pair of baserunners via walks in the bottom of the seventh.

Patience has been a huge part of Florida's success all season, and the Super Regional was no different. Florida batters worked 17 walks on the weekend. Despite the number of baserunners, Florida really only had two big innings, the bottom of the seventh in games one and three. In both of those innings, the Gators scored three runs with just one hit.  

With two outs and down to their final strike, UF freshman Jordan Matthews fouled off multiple pitches before connecting on a walk-off, 3-run homer to send the hosts back to the Women's College World Series, breaking the hearts of the Aggies. Florida celebrated, while A&M players, coaches, and fans were left in disbelief.

"I thought we played really well on Saturday," Evans stated. "Defensively, we were outstanding. I was really proud of how composed we were out there, giving us a chance to win a ballgame in the end. Tori was being Tori. I was really proud of her and our senior class. I thought we came to play all weekend. I am proud of how hard we fought."
This isn't about moral victories. Texas A&M believed they would beat Florida and be on their way to OKC. They fell just short of their ultimate goal. There were plays in all three games that A&M would love to have back. In truth, the Aggies could have, and maybe should have won all three games in Gainesville against a team that has been nearly unbeatable at home. That makes it sting even more. At the end of the day, however, the Aggies have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about.   

Texas A&M finished the season at 44-18, including a 13-11 conference mark in a league that sent every team to the NCAA Tournament. They opened play at the brand new Davis Diamond, sweeping Auburn and winning a Regional title in front of the 12^th Man at their new home. More importantly, this year's seniors got a taste of what the Davis Diamond experience will be all about. 
 

They went to Gainesville, a house of horrors for the Aggies in the past, and were one strike/out away from a second straight Women's College World Series. Texas A&M left it all on the field, and while there is no satisfaction with the result, Coach Evans was right. You have to be proud of the effort, toughness, and class the team showed throughout a great season and spectacular 3-game series in Gainesville.   

This senior class will be missed, and not just because of their play on the field. They set the example of what it means to represent Texas A&M University, and they leave some big shoes to fill. The future for Aggie Softball remains bright, though, and a tough loss in Gainesville doesn't change that.