Texas A&M
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
No. 19 Softball Splits with Islanders
Mar 09, 2010 | Softball
March 9, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 21 Texas A&M softball team racked up 11 hits in an 8-0 run-rule of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after dropping a 4-3 decision to the Islanders on Tuesday evening at the Aggie Softball Complex.
The Aggies (17-6) pounded out 19 hits against A&M-Corpus Christi (16-7) in the doubleheader. Junior Rebecca Arbino recorded her second straight three-hit shutout.
"I love seeing Kelsey up there totally confident," said head coach Jo Evans. "She's really setting the tone for our team right now. She's putting herself on base and giving Meagan May a chance to hit her in.
"Becca was in total control and had great poise and presence in the circle. I just see her getting better and better. Our team feels comfortable when she's out there and they play well behind her. She's doing a great job and I love how hard she's worked at it."
The Islanders began the evening by getting on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. A two-out Aggie error allowed Margo Hurdt to cross the plate from third.
A lead-off home run by Brittany Tucker in the top of the fourth put A&M-Corpus Christi up 2-0.
Freshman Melissa Dumezich evened the score in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run to right center. Freshman Sydney Shannon was on base after being hit by a pitch for Dumezich's fourth long ball of the year.
The Islanders regained the lead in the sixth after two Aggie errors and a pair of RBI singles.
Dumezich moved into the circle to relieve junior Rhi Kliesing in the seventh and struck out the side to keep the score 4-2 moving into the bottom of the seventh.
The Aggies fought back and loaded the bases with no outs, but could only push one run across in their final scoring opportunity leaving a total of 10 runners on base in the game.
Kliesing (6-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven hits and four runs, only two of which were earned. She also added three K's. Margo Hurdt (2-1) was the winning pitcher.
"We've cost ourselves two ball games in the last four games, probably, by not taking care of the ball," commented Evans. "We have to be better than that. You could see us change our mentality in the second game but there's no excuse for us not having it in the first. You can just see a difference when we're aggressive. We have to bring it every game."
In the night cap, the Aggies turned things around and jumped out to a quick three-run lead in the first inning after four consecutive singles. Spittler and May tallied base hits before Kliesing scored one with a soft liner to right center. Senior Alex Reynolds then plated two with a hard-hit single up the middle.
A&M added three more in the second. Senior Macie Morrow singled in the infield with two outs and stole second before Spittler lined an RBI single to right center. May then stepped up and blasted her eighth home run of the year, which was a two-run shot to right field.
The Aggies continued hitting in the third frame as Reynolds led off with a double to the left center wall. Sophomore Kelsea Orsak scored the Tomball, Texas, native with a single up the middle to give A&M a 7-0 lead.
The eighth run came in the fourth when Kliesing's ground ball to the right side allowed Spittler to score from third.
Arbino (8-3) allowed only three hits, no walks and struck out six in five innings of work for her third shutout this season. Addie Tallman (5-4) threw two innings and gave up six runs on seven hits for the loss.
May had a significant night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, a pair of runs, two walks and a hit by pitch for an .857 on-base percentage. Reynolds also contributed a pair of hits for a team-best three RBIs.
Texas A&M returns to the Aggie Softball Complex this weekend and plays five games as part of the Aggie Invitational. The first contest is set for Friday at 3 p.m. against Utah State.
