BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 15 Texas A&M softball team defeated Houston, 8-1, Thursday night at Davis Diamond to open the Texas A&M Invitational.
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Texas A&M (11-6) jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first two innings before adding a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth. Mya Perez led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs, while Micaela Wark added two hits and two RBI and Tallen Edwards scored three runs with one double. Sydney Lessentine tossed a complete game, striking out a season-high eight batters while yielding one run on two hits and one walk.
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The Aggies plated three runs in the opening inning on four hits. Edwards scored the first run of the game after Wark singled to center field, followed by a double to left-center by Ariel Kowalewski to bring Perez home. Texas A&M made it 3-0 as Wark scored on an RBI single by Maddie Sauni.
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Houston (11-4) answered in the second with a leadoff single, followed by a pair of free bases before a sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 3-1.
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Texas A&M quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning after a pair of hit batters and a single before Perez lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that resulted in two runs scoring following a Houston throwing error to extend the lead to 5-1.
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After a scoreless third frame, the Maroon & White pushed the advantage to 6-1 after Edwards doubled and scored on a single to center field by Wark. Two innings later, Edwards scored for the third time after drawing a walk and Perez followed with a 271-foot home run to center field to seal the 8-1 victory.
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UP NEXT
Texas A&M continues play Friday against Kennesaw State at 4:30 p.m., followed by Louisiana at 7 p.m.
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NOTES
QUOTES
Postgame interviews are available on https://12thman.com/watch.
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Texas A&M (11-6) jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first two innings before adding a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth. Mya Perez led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs, while Micaela Wark added two hits and two RBI and Tallen Edwards scored three runs with one double. Sydney Lessentine tossed a complete game, striking out a season-high eight batters while yielding one run on two hits and one walk.
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The Aggies plated three runs in the opening inning on four hits. Edwards scored the first run of the game after Wark singled to center field, followed by a double to left-center by Ariel Kowalewski to bring Perez home. Texas A&M made it 3-0 as Wark scored on an RBI single by Maddie Sauni.
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Houston (11-4) answered in the second with a leadoff single, followed by a pair of free bases before a sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 3-1.
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Texas A&M quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning after a pair of hit batters and a single before Perez lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that resulted in two runs scoring following a Houston throwing error to extend the lead to 5-1.
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After a scoreless third frame, the Maroon & White pushed the advantage to 6-1 after Edwards doubled and scored on a single to center field by Wark. Two innings later, Edwards scored for the third time after drawing a walk and Perez followed with a 271-foot home run to center field to seal the 8-1 victory.
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UP NEXT
Texas A&M continues play Friday against Kennesaw State at 4:30 p.m., followed by Louisiana at 7 p.m.
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NOTES
- Junior Mya Perez and senior Kennedy Powell extended their NCAA-leading on-base streaks to 20 games. Powell has hit safely in 16 of 17 games this season, while Perez has hit safely in 15 of 17.
- Perez tallied her 100th career RBI.
- Sydney Lessentine recorded her second complete game of the season and threw a season-high 109 pitches. The sophomore has yet to issue multiple walks in a game through nine appearances this season.
- Lessentine held Houston to a .091 batting average as the Cougars went 2-for-22.
- Senior Tallen Edwards drew multiple walks for the third straight game and extended her on-base streak to eight games.
- Texas A&M batted .500, going 7-for-14 with runners on base.
- The Aggies improved to 24-11 all-time against Houston, including a 4-0 mark and a 38-7 scoring margin in the Trisha Ford era.
QUOTES
Postgame interviews are available on https://12thman.com/watch.