Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Glasco Homers No. 24 Aggies Past Texas Tech
Apr 10, 2009 | Softball
April 10, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Senior Erin Glasco launched a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the 24th-ranked Texas A&M softball team a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over Texas Tech in front of 954 fans at the Aggie Softball Complex on Friday.
With two outs and sophomore Natalie Villarreal on second base, Glasco stepped to the plate down 4-3 and crushed the first pitch she saw sending it sailing over the left field wall. The homer was the fourth of the season for the Johnston City, Ill., native.
With the much-needed win, the Aggies improved to 25-15 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12, while the Red Raiders fell to 13-31 and 2-8 in conference play.
Sophomore Rhi Kliesing (15-10) earned the win by pitching a complete game. She allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits, walked three and struck out three.
"We needed that win so bad," said head coach Jo Evans. "We've been sort of feeling sorry for ourselves and hoping something could happen, but we really turned it around in this game. Tech got up early and we could have given up, but our kids fought hard.
"I really appreciate the crowd coming out tonight. They were vocal and they were in it and they gave us a chance to win. It's really fun to play in that atmosphere."
Texas Tech capitalized off of Aggie mistakes and had timely hits to take the early lead.
A walk and an A&M error in the first was followed by a one-out, two-run single up the middle by Alex Watkins.
Three base hits in the second frame, including an RBI single by Stephanie Drewry, increased the Red Raiders' lead to 3-0.
Tech scored for the third consecutive inning to go up 4-0 after Watkins was hit by a pitch and crossed the plate on Skylar Peterson's two-out, RBI single up the middle.
The Aggies retired the Red Raiders in order in the fourth and the fifth frames and sophomore Kara Rau, who hit what would have been a solo home run just wide of the left field foul pole in the third, sailed a two-run shot over the wall in right center in the bottom of the fifth. Kliesing was on base via a fielder's choice as A&M cut the Red Raiders' lead in half, 4-2.
"We really needed that clutch hit from Kara," said Evans. "She has good hands at the plate and it was just a great job by her. In her first at bat she almost hit one out left field and you know she's seeing the ball well if she can then hit one out right center."
Tech was in striking distance again in the top of the sixth with runners on second and third with two outs, but Kliesing fanned her second batter of the game to get out of the inning unharmed.
Two consecutive errors in the bottom of the sixth put freshman Holly Ridley moved both runners into scoring position in the next at bat. Junior Alex Reynolds then dropped a soft single into right center to score Orsak from second, while pinch runner Andrea Tovar was held up at third. A&M proceeded to load the bases with a full-count walk by Kliesing, but could only push one run across for a 4-3 score.
The Aggies turned a double play to end the top of the seventh and used the momentum in the bottom of the inning. Villarreal drew a big one-out walk and Orsak sacrificed her to second before Glasco ripped the two-run bomb to left field to give the A&M the win.
The Aggies close out the series against Texas Tech on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex.
