Story by Delaney Duke, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M softball collected two wins via the run-rule after defeating Texas Southern, 8-0 and 9-0, respectively in a Tuesday doubleheader at Davis Diamond.
The Maroon & White spared no time before posting a three-run first inning, highlighted by Shaylee Ackerman’s second home run of the season.
Texas A&M got back on the board in the third inning, as the Aggies compiled two runs, via Ackerman’s sacrifice fly and off a single by Bre Warren.
The last three runs of the opener came from extra base hits from Makinzy Herzog, Trinity Cannon and Ackerman’s game ending double.
Herzog (5-1) was dominant in the circle for 5.0 innings of work. The Missouri City, Texas, native allowed just one hit, while tying her career high in strikeouts with 10. She struck out five consecutive batters and tallied 10 strikeouts in back-to-back pitching appearances.
In game two, the Aggies kept the trend posting a three-run frame to open the first inning. Cannon was able to get ahold of one, hitting the top of the scoreboard to record her third home run of her rookie campaign.
The Maroon & White tallied four runs in the third inning, following a two RBI single from Kelly Martinez and groundouts from Grace Uribe and Mariana Torres.
Holding onto the momentum, Cannon sent a double to left center plating the last two runs in the fourth inning.
Grace Uribe (4-1) was awarded the start in the circle for the Aggies. The right-hander tossed 5.0 shutout innings, scattering two hits and fanning six.
Cannon finished the doubleheader 4-for-4, with a double and home run, while Ackerman was 3-for-4 with a double and home run.
KEY INNINGS
Game 1
B1 | Makinzy Herzog singled and then stole second. Haley Lee’s singled up the middle and advanced Herzog to third. Lee stole second, while Herzog stole home. Shaylee Ackerman homered to centerfield. Texas A&M 3, Texas Southern 0
B3 | Kelbi Fortenberry singled to left field before stealing second. Lee’s double to right center advanced Fortenberry. Lee advanced to third and Fortenberry scored after Ackerman flied out to right field. Warren’s single to centerfield plated Lee. Texas A&M 5, Texas Southern 0
B4 | Morgan Smith tripled to right center before Trinity Cannon doubled to right field, plating Smith. Cannon advanced to third on a wild pitch. Herzog’s single to left center scored Cannon. Texas A&M 7, Texas Southern 0
B5 | Lee singled through the left side and Taudrea Sinnie who pinch ran for Lee stole second. Ackerman’s double to right center scored Sinnie. Texas A&M 8, Texas Southern 0
Game 2
B1 | Haley Lee singled to right field before Shaylee Ackerman reach on an infield error, advancing Lee to third. Ackerman stole second before Trinity Canon’s home run to left field plated Ackerman and Lee. Texas A&M 3, Texas Southern 0
B3 | Lee reached first on a walk. Ackerman singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw. Madi Jatzlau who pinch ran for Lee advanced to third. Canon walked before Kelly Martinez singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw, Cannon went on to third, Ackerman and Jatzlau scored. Martinez scored on Mariana Torres’ single to the shortstop.
Texas A&M 7, Texas Southern 0
B4 | Bre Warren doubled to left center. Taudrea Sinnie bunted and advanced to second, Warren advanced to third. Cannon’s double to left center plated Sinnie and Warren. Texas A&M 9, Texas Southern 0
Top Offensive Players:
Game 1
Makinzy Herzog| 2-for-3, RBI
Haley Lee| 3-for-3
Shaylee Ackerman| 2-for-2, 4 RBI
Trinity Cannon| 2-for-2
Game 2
Trinity Cannon| 2-for-2, 5 RBI
Kelly Martinez|1- for-3, 2 RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Game 1
Makinzy Herzog (5-1) – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 10 SO, 1 BB
Game 2
Grace Uribe (4-1) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 SO, 0 BB
Head Coach Jo Evans
Opening Statement…
“I am happy with our performance. These are two games that we expect our team to come out and dominate and we have talked about that. There have been some games early on that we expected that, and it didn’t happen, but today we came out and we swung the bats really well and we pitched great. I thought both of our pitchers looked really good, pitch counts were low and we were making short work of it. It is nice to see us approach a doubleheader like that. We need to separate ourselves from our competition and I am happy to see that.”
On Trinity Cannon’s performance today…
“I think that Trinity [Cannon] has got a really great college career ahead of her. She will get comfortable and that is really all she needs, since she is a talented player. For freshman when they are trying to battle and get in the lineup, every at-bat to them feels like it’s the end of the world, the most critical thing and if they are not perfect, they are not getting another chance. So, when you are put into that situation where you just get the opportunity you can fail and still get another opportunity, and you can get your feet on the ground, it allows you to be the player you are. I think that is Trinity. I think the more she plays, just the better she is going to be. I mean I get that’s how everybody feels, if I get enough at-bats I am going to be a great player. Trinity has everything she needs to be a really good collegiate softball player. She is strong, quick, explosive, has a good arm and she is a great teammate. She has just got everything she needs.”
Freshman Infielder Trinity Cannon
On getting more comfortable at the plate…
“I just think as I get more at-bats, I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable at the plate. I kind of just feed off my team’s energy. If I have a bad day at the plate, I just kind of practice it the next day and they really pick me up. Just having them there has really been a big thing for me.”
On her home run…
“We watched film on her and were told to pick a side when we got up to the plate. In that at-bat, I picked inside and sure enough she threw it over that corner and got it.”