Aggies Win 10th Straight with Victories Over SFA, Pitt

Saturday, February 19

Bryan-College Station

2:00 PM

Texas A&M

9-0

SFA

1-8

Stephen F. Austin

Texas A&M

Photo by: Aiden Shertzer/Texas A&M Athletics

Feb 19, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

By: Shelby Hild, Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M softball team (10-0) remained unbeaten with a pair of wins over Stephen F. Austin (1-8) and Pitt (4-4) on Saturday at Davis Diamond.

The Aggies battled with the Ladyjacks in the first game, edging SFA, 7-5. In A&M's sixth run-rule victory of the season, junior Shaylee Ackerman tossed a career-high seven strikeouts. The Aggies' 10-straight wins to open the year match A&M's best start to the season since 2018.

TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
vs. SFA – W, 7-5

Koko Wooley: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
Haley Lee: 2-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB
Makinzy Herzog: 1-for-4, 4 RBI, 2B

PITCHING BREAKDOWN
vs. SFA – W, 7-5

Kayla Poynter: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Emiley Kennedy 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K

KEY INNINGS / NOTABLES
vs. SFA – W, 7-5

The Ladyjacks jumped on the board early after hammering two solo home runs over the centerfield wall in back-to-back innings to open the game.
SFA extended their lead with an RBI single at the top of the third.
The Aggies found their stride in the bottom of the inning, cashing in two runs courtesy of RBI from Makinzy Herzog and Morgan Smith.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, a bases-clearing double from Herzog pushed A&M ahead, 5-3.
After a wild pitch that allowed SFA to bring the score within one, the Aggies recorded three-consecutive outs, highlighted by back-to-back strikeouts from Kennedy, at the top of the fifth.
A two-RBI double from Trinity Cannon gave the Aggies a 7-4 advantage, before the Ladyjacks rallied in the top of the seventh, scratching an unearned run on the board. A ground out to Koko Wooley helped the Aggies escape the threat for the 7-5 win.

TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
vs. Pitt – W, 10-0 (5 inn.)

Haley Lee: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR
Morgan Smith: 1-for-2, HR
Rylen Wiggins: 1-for-1, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B

PITCHING BREAKDOWN
vs. Pitt – W, 10-0 (5 inn.)

Shaylee Ackerman: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (career-high)
Makinzy Herzog: 1.0, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

KEY INNINGS / NOTABLES
vs. Pitt – W, 10-0 (5 inn.)

Junior hurler Shaylee Ackerman threw heat as she opened the game with three strikeouts.
In the bottom of the first, doubles from Makinzy Herzog and Rylen Wiggins, followed by a triple from Katie Dack, helped break open the scoring for the Aggies, bringing six runners home.
Texas A&M's infield continued to shine in the second inning, as the Maroon and White pulled off a double play and closed out the inning with another strikeout from Ackerman.
During the second inning with two outs on the board, Morgan Smith launched her first homer of the season over the centerfield wall, extending A&M's lead to 7-0.
Koko Wooley connected with a pitch for a double, bringing one runner home. Immediately after, Haley Lee stepped up to the plate and blasted a homer over the centerfield wall, helping the Aggies end the third inning with a 10-run cushion.
Herzog stepped into the circle in the final inning, striking out two, to give A&M its sixth run-rule victory of the season.

WHAT THEY SAID
Head coach Jo Evans
Overall thoughts…
"I thought it was a good day for us. SFA came out swinging and they kept pressure on us the whole game. I thought that our team handled being down and fighting back. In both games, our two-out hitting and scoring was really good."

On Makinzy Herzog's big offensive day…
"Makinzy hasn't been completely comfortable, and yet, we are getting production out of her and getting results. None of them bigger than the three-RBI double she had today to get us on the board and help us get the lead against SFA. She was due to have a day at the plate where she could get some RBI and help her team out, and today was big for her."

Junior utility player Shaylee Ackerman
On reaching career high in strikeouts…
"It was so much fun out there. It's exciting and it's been a long time building up for these moments. The first time I went out, it was nerve-wracking, but this outing was a lot more simple and under control."

UP NEXT
The Aggies finish the Texas A&M Invitational on Sunday with a contest against Kansas at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are available for purchase at 12thMan.com/SoftballTickets and the full tournament schedule can be found here.

To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.