Texas A&M
Baylor
Aggies Drop 3-2 Heartbreaker to No. 24 Baylor
Mar 31, 2010 | Softball
March 31, 2010
WACO, Texas - Despite a two-run home run by Texas A&M freshman Meagan May, the No. 18 Texas A&M softball dropped a 3-2, 10-inning heartbreaker to No. 24 Baylor on Wednesday night in front of 1,009 fans at Getterman Stadium.
The Aggies carried a 2-0 lead into the seventh, but a two-run double by Courtney Nieten in the bottom of the inning evened the game and forced extra innings.
The international tiebreaker rule went into effect in the 10th inning and after A&M was held scoreless in the top of the frame, BU's Dani Leal scored the game-winning run on a two-out wild pitch.
Baylor (20-10, 1-2 Big 12) picked up its first conference win, while the Aggies (29-8, 2-1 Big 12) fell for the first time in league play.
"It's a tough one to take and disappointing to have the game end like that," said A&M head coach Jo Evans. "I felt like we had our chance. Baylor hit the ball well and put pressure on us all night, but I thought we handled their pressure well. It was disappointing to come here and go into the seventh with the lead and let it get away."
Baylor started the game by putting two in scoring position in the bottom of the first. A two-out Aggie error allowed one on base before Courtney Nieten's line-drive double that landed on the left field line. Freshman pitcher Melissa Dumezich, however, coolly forced the next hitter to ground out for the third out of the inning.
It was A&M who scored two first in the top of the third. Senior Macie Morrow reached base on a hit by pitch and with two outs May launched her 16th home run of the season directly into an 18 mph wind and over the 220 mark just right of center field.
"You've got to really hit it here because this is such a big ball park," commented Evans. "Then, when the wind's blowing in like that, it's tough to get anything out of here. Meagan did a really good job of recognizing the pitch that was going to come."
Baylor threatened again with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Dumezich made pinch hitter, Sydney Wilson hit an easy pop fly to Morrow at shortstop.
The Bears put two on with one out in the sixth before the Aggies called upon sophomore Rebecca Arbino to relieve Dumezich in the circle. Arbino walked the first batter she faced to load the bases. BU's KJ Freeland then put the ball in play, but senior Alex Reynolds went to her left, snagged the ground ball, spun around and made the throw to May at home in time for the second out. Junior Kelsey Spittler then gloved a live drive in left to keep the game scoreless.
Freshman Lauren Schwirtlich painted the chalk behind third base for a two-out double in the top of the seventh, but A&M was unable to add to its lead and the score remained 2-0.
Nicole Wesley led off the bottom of the seventh with her third single of the evening and Jordan Vannatta walked to put two Bears on with no outs. Nieten then plated both runners with her second double of the game to even the score, 2-2, and force extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, Baylor's Kayce Walker reached on a two-out infield single in the bottom of the ninth. She stole second and advanced to third as the May's throw went into the outfield. The Aggies got out of another jam by forcing a ground out to keep the game tied at two apiece.
After sophomore Kelsea Orsak was placed on second to begin the 10th, Schwirtlich sacrificed her to third, but the Aggies were unable to score the run.
In the bottom of the inning, Leal started on second and advanced a base on a groundout. With two down, a changeup in the dirt got away from May and Leal scored from third for the game-winner.
Dumezich started the game and threw five and one-third innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out one. In four and one-third innings, Arbino (15-5) gave up three runs (two earned), five hits, walked two and added two K's. She was also saddled with the loss.
Six-foot two-inch, Baylor right-hander, Courtney Repka (13-6) struck out a career-high 11 for the win. She allowed just three hits, two runs and walked three.
The Aggies remain on the road for a pair of conference games at Nebraska this weekend beginning Friday at 5 p.m.
"This weekend's going to test our maturity," Evans said. "We're kind of a young ball club, but we need to be grown up right now. We just have to be positive. Nebraska is going to be a great opponent for us. It's really important for us to know we're a good enough ball club that can go on the road and win games in conference."
