Sweeping the series against Ole Miss, Texas A&M softball moved to 15-6 in conference play during the last home series of the season.
Game 2
Through wind and rain, A&M kept the lead and took the series in a 7-2 win over Ole Miss on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 after a partially completed game.
The lead-off batter in sophomore CF Jalia Lassiter was walked by senior RHP Shaylee Ackerman but was tagged out on a throw from senior C Julia Cottrill to sophomore 2B Amari Harper as she attempted to steal second.
The third out of the 1-2-3 top of the first for Ackerman was a strikeout swinging by junior C Lexie Brady. The Aggies moved to the bottom of the frame with Harper leading it off.
In her first homerun of the year and her career, Harper’s hit was tipped over the wall as Lassiter couldn’t wrangle it into her glove.
Next up was junior LF Kramer Eschete who was walked by senior RHP Aynslie Furbush and stole second. On senior CF Jazmine Hill’s at-bat, Hill was walked and stole second while Eschete advanced to third and scored unearned to make it 2-0.
Senior 1B Trinity Cannon grounded out to junior 2B Angelina DeLeon who bobbled the ball for a moment allowing for Hill to score.
As rain started to fall, junior RF Allie Enright grounded out, ending the inning and the game went into a rain delay.
After around an hour of delay, the second inning began with senior 1B Paige Smith’s fly out on a full count to a diving Eschete. The starting pitcher for the Rebels, Furbush, hit a homer into left field to cut into the Aggie lead, 3-1.
Following the solo home run, Ackerman walked senior 3B Delaney Rummell while only throwing one strike in the at-bat. Rummell was eventually out at second allowing the batter behind her to reach on a fielder’s choice.
After the strike, fly and ground out the Aggies went to the field for the bottom of the frame.
Lassiter reached on a fielding error by Harper and advanced to second on the throw to senior SS Rylen Wiggins.
In a double play by the Aggie defense, the batter grounded out to sophomore 3B Kennedy Powell who threw to Cannon to get the second out and then to Wiggins for the third out. A&M went into the batter’s box for the bottom of the third.
Eschete reached first on a throwing error by Rummell, and at Hill’s at-bat, she stole second. Then, Hill walked after six pitches. Cottrill’s single up the middle sent Eschete home for a three-run lead.
Hill and Cottrill were bumped up a base as Enright was walked. Furbush exited the circle for junior LHP Brianna Lopez.
Ackerman hit Ole Miss’ Brady at a 3-2 count. A ground out by Smith turned into a double play of Wiggins to Harper to Cannon. The final out was earned by Ackerman as she struck out Furbush swinging to end the top of the fourth.
After a strikeout swinging for sophomore DP Aiyana Coleman and Powell’s out at first, Lopez loaded the bases with walks of Harper, Eschete and Hill. Cottrill’s at-bat ran in the trio as Harper and Eschete scored and Hill came home on a throwing error by sophomore SS Ryan Starr.
The 7-1 lead the Aggies picked up in the bottom of the fourth caused another Ole Miss change in the circle as senior RHP Makenna Kilethermes entered the game.
The rain returned and so did the at-bats for the Rebels. Ackerman walked junior RF Annie Orman but struck out the next batter in DeLeon swinging. Orman advanced to second on a passed ball and Starr was walked. Ford approached the circle to settle Ackerman.
Freshman pinch runner Ma’Nia Womack came in at second for Orman but quickly progressed to third as Ackerman walked her third batter of the top of the fifth and loaded the bases. Womack scored off of junior LF Jaden Pone’s single and cut into the lead to make it 7-2.
As the rain began to come down once more, a decision was reached to suspend play for the night, simultaneously halting the Rebels’ late-game momentum from Saturday.
Davis Diamond was bright and shining Sunday at noon on April 21, almost as though the rain never happened, as both teams emerged from the dugout fresh and ready to resume the doubleheader that followed.
Junior LHP Emiley Kennedy entered into the circle for Ackerman.
Picking back up in the fifth inning of Game 2, Kennedy struck out Brady to strand all three Ole Miss batters, ending the Rebels’ promising comeback.
Senior RHP Makenna Kliethermes stepped up for Ole Miss, striking out four of the eight batters she faced, but it was Kennedy who sealed the game.
Only allowing two walks, no runs and no hits in addition to two strikeouts, “Lefty” secured the game for A&M in the seventh with a final KO against Pone.
Game 3
Thirty minutes later, Game 3 began just as fiery as the last had ended.
Kennedy started with yet another strikeout, her 156th of the season, combined with a flyout and groundout to end the Rebels’ first at-bat.
After a three-up, three down from the Aggies’ offense, Ole Miss breathed life into their lineup with a double to third from Brady. Afterward, two Rebels flied out while Brady advanced to third, then Kennedy cleaned up with another strikeout to end their at-bat.
Back on offense, the Maroon and White found success in the bottom of the second after Cannon was walked by sophomore RHP Grace Sparks. Enright then singled to the left side which pushed freshman PR Haley Golden, who replaced Cannon, further along the base path.
Wiggins finally broke the scoring seal with an RBI single to left field, pushing Golden through home to put A&M up 1-0.
Kennedy once again put the Aggie defense on her back in the top of the third with three more strikeouts, after giving up a harmless single to shortstop by Pone.
On the other side, an excellent defensive play from Pone in the bottom of the third robbed the Aggies of possibly extending the lead.
The at-bat began with a single to right field from Harper, then Eschete reached on a fielder’s choice but threw Harper out at second. Hill followed with a groundout to third as Eschete kept moving along the path.
Finally, Cotrill looked to extend the lead with a promising single shot to left field until Pone ended the Fightin’ Farmer’s hopes with a long throw to Brady, who was waiting at home to tag Eschete.
In the bottom of the sixth, A&M threatened the Rebels’ defense with a bases-loaded situation after Hill reached first off a fielding error by 2B DeLeon. Sparks retired afterward and the Rebels pitching staff brought out Lopez, who immediately walked Cottrill.
Cannon then reached base on a fielder’s choice to SS, which ended graduate PR Sav Price’s trip around the bases at third. Another walk from Lopez loaded the bases, then she threw a wild pitch and freshman PR Scout Lovell took advantage and scored the final run of the game off the steal.
One last 1-2-3 from the Aggies on defense sealed Ole Miss’s fate, while Kennedy put another stellar performance in the books, ending with seven strikeouts and only allowing two hits.
Next, A&M will stay home at Davis Diamond to host Houston on Tuesday, April 23, at 6 p.m.