COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fifth-ranked Texas A&M Softball rolled past South Carolina, 16-0, Sunday at the Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
The 16 runs are the most in a SEC game and ties the school record for most runs scored in a conference game, first set at Oklahoma State on April 12, 2006.
The Maroon and White (31-3, 9-2 SEC) grabbed an early lead in the first on two doubles. Tori Vidales led off the game with a two-bagger to right and later moved to third on a throwing error. Riley Sartain plated Vidales with a double to right center.
The floodgates opened in the second as the Aggies scored eight runs on four hits and four walks. Ashley Walters and Samantha Show walked before Erica Russell loaded the bases on a bunt single. Keeli Milligan scored Walters on a single into right before Vidales doubled home Show and Russell. Alderink walked to reload the bases, before Milligan scored as Sartain was hit by a pitch.
Sarah Hudek hit a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Vidales to cross the plate and give the Aggies a 6-0 lead. In her second at bat of the inning, Walters doubled off the top of the left field wall, scoring Sartain, before Show capped off the inning with a RBI groundout.
In the fourth, Texas A&M tacked on four more runs to lead 13-0. Cuyos led off with a walk and was pinch ran for by Blake-Ann Fritsch. Hudek followed with a single to right, before Walters doubled to score Fritsch. Show then cleared the bases with a three-run shot to left.
Russell added to the lead in the fifth with a three-run dinger to left, her second of the season.
Show dazzled in the circle, giving up just three hits and two walks in five innings while striking out three. The East Bernard, Texas, native is now 12-2 on the season with a 1.01 ERA.
Cayla Drotar was saddled with the loss for South Carolina (22-14, 2-9 SEC), giving up 10 runs on 10 hits in 3.0 innings.
The Aggies will go for the sweep Monday at 6 p.m. The game can be seen on SEC Network and is also available through WatchESPN and the ESPN app and can be heard locally on Willy 1550 AM.
To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to 12thMan.com or follow @AggieSoftball on Twitter.
Texas A&M Quotes
Head Coach Jo Evans
On today’s win…
“I thought we played great today. Offensively, Tori Vidales set the tone in the first at bat of the game, hitting a double. Riley Sartain gets a double as well to score in the first inning, which is really big. Then we put up eight runs in the second, and throughout our lineup we hit well especially with Keeli Milligan, Erica Russell and Samantha Show. Those kids hit lights out, setting the table to the kids at the top of the order.”
On Samantha Show‘s performance…
“I thought Sam looked really confident. She threw strikes and made things happen for the team. Defensively, we played well. You can see that Samantha is confident and she wants the ball. She went right after their hitters.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics