Texas A&M
BYU
Aggies Drop Extra-Inning Battle to BYU
Mar 04, 2010 | Softball
March 4, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 19 Texas A&M softball team gave up four runs in the top of the eighth inning and fell to BYU, 5-3, in the opening game of the Texas A&M Invitational on Thursday evening at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of seven innings, but the Cougars (11-4) plated four runs on four hits in the next inning. Despite coming back with two runs in the bottom half of the eighth, the Aggies (13-4) dropped their first game at home this season.
"BYU connected for some hits in the end and a team will do that when it gets to see a pitcher that many times," said A&M head coach Jo Evans. "Rhi pitched well enough to win that ball game and offensively we needed to do a better job for her, because we certainly had plenty of chances to get ourselves ahead in regulation."
The Cougars threatened first in the top of the second, but the Aggie defense cut down the lead runner at home to keep BYU off the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the inning, sophomore Kelsea Orsak chopped a single up the middle to plate freshman Sydney Shannon for the first run of the game.
The Aggies retired the Cougars in order in the third frame, but in the fourth Angeline Quiocho lined a solo home run to left center to even the score, 1-1.
In the next three innings, A&M moved two runners into scoring position and BYU had three, but neither team was able to push a run across and the game progressed into extra innings.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, a runner was placed on second to begin the eighth inning. The Cougars sacrificed their runner to second and then rattled off four singles for four runs and a new score of 5-1.
The Aggies answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eight. Junior Alex Reynolds plated pinch runner Andrea Tovar with a sacrifice fly to right, but the Aggies ran out of chances in the inning.
"We had the tying run at the plate and had a chance in the end," commented Evans. "I liked how they didn't care what the score was and still battled and fought."
Paige Affleck (7-3) threw all eight innings for the win. She gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits, walked five and struck out seven.
Kliesing (6-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits, walking three and fanning nine in eight innings of work.
Both teams left eight runners on base in the game. Quicho led all batters going 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
"It's important to let this one go and move forward," Evans said. "We have a lot of games coming up and we have to prepare and be ready for every game we play. We can learn a few things from this one."
The Texas A&M Invitational continues tomorrow as the Aggies play a pair of contest beginning at 3 p.m. A&M takes on Northern Colorado followed by its second contest against BYU.
