Texas A&M
Texas Tech
No. 20 Aggies Overcome Tech, 10-6
May 01, 2010 | Softball
May 1, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - The No. 20 Texas A&M softball team used a balanced offense as nearly every player in the lineup recorded a hit in a 10-6 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field.
A&M (38-13, 9-6 Big 12) tallied 13 hits against the Red Raiders (35-14, 7-10 Big 12), five Aggies had multiple-hit games, and four posted multiple RBIs.
"I'm really proud of our team, we didn't back down one bit," said A&M head coach Jo Evans. "To get that first win on the road is big. The bottom of our order really stepped up and we kept fighting today. Every time they scored we came back and scored. We showed a lot of fight out there and did a good job."
The Aggies started the scoring early with a two-run home run to right field from junior Rhi Kliesing in the top of the first. Kliesing scored freshman Meagan May who drew a full-count walk to reach base with two outs.
Emily Bledsoe led off the bottom of the inning for Tech with a single up the middle before Logan Hall hit a two-out RBI double to the left-field corner to cut the A&M lead in half, 2-1.
Junior Kelsey Spittler kept the Aggie bats hot by leading off the second with a line-drive double to center. She moved to third on a passed ball, but got caught in a rundown on a ground ball and A&M remained in the lead by a run.
A pair of two-out RBI singles by Hall and Raven Richardson in the third gave the Red Raiders their first lead of the game, 3-2.
A&M answered and knotted the game in the fourth as freshman Melissa Dumezich scored Spittler from second on a two-out RBI single up the middle.
In the fifth, freshman Alex Reynolds then connected for a one-out, two-run single to center to make the score 6-3.
Tech took back a run by scoring on a two-out Aggie error in the bottom of the fifth.
Shannon added to the Aggies' advantage in the sixth off of a line-drive, RBI single to right. The Marlow, Okla., native plated senior Macie Morrow from third on the hit.
The Red Raiders did not let up and Hall's two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth brought Tech back within one run, 7-6.
A&M continued to battle as well and came back with three runs in the top of the seventh. Orsak skipped a base hit through the right side to score Spittler from third before freshman Lauren Schwirtlich pushed two more across with a floater to shallow left center.
Hall led all hitters going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Schwirtlich and Reynolds were both 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs for the Aggies. Shannon and Kliesing each added a pair of RBIs, while Shannon, Morrow and Orsak also had two hits each.
Dumezich (14-1) earned the win in the circle. She allowed six runs (five earned) on 11 hits, walked just one and fanned four.
"I kept thinking we needed to get (Rebecca) Arbino out there, but Mel would just find a way to keep us in it," said Evans. "Scoring those runs (in the seventh) and having a four-run lead going into the bottom of the inning was huge. If it was a one-run game there's no doubt Tech would have come out and made something happen. Mel is a tough kid and she wanted to be out there."
The Red Raiders used three pitchers on the day, but Ashly Jacobs (13-7) picked up the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on six hits, walking two and adding four K's in four innings of work.
The Aggies return to the diamond tomorrow at noon for the second of the two-game series in Lubbock.
