Credit to Tyler Pounds | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Julia Cottrill blasted a solo home run in the sixth inning to lift the No. 19 Texas A&M softball team past Mississippi State, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Davis Diamond.
The come from behind win clinched the series for Texas A&M (24-13, 7-7 SEC) marking the third conference series win, the most for the Aggies since winning four in 2018.
Down 1-0 in the fifth, Keely Williams pressured Mississippi State (23-15, 3-7 SEC) with a single that ensued chaos with back-to-back throwing errors allowing Amari Harper to tie the game.
After a pop up and a walk, Emiley Kennedy struck out the last two batters in the top of the sixth. Cottrill stepped to the plate as leadoff for the home half and smashed a 247-foot round tripper to right center to give A&M its first lead.
The Bulldogs posed no threat in the final frame as the first two batters registered first-pitch outs, followed by Kennedy striking out the final batter looking.
Kennedy earned the win (6-4) after striking out six batters in 4.1 innings of relief and allowing only two hits and one walk. Madison Preston started the game going 2.2 innings striking out three, while allowing two hits, one run and one walk.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M goes for the sweep Monday night at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Julia Cottrill – 1-for-3, HR
Koko Wooley – 1-for-3, SB
Emiley Kennedy – 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
SCORING SUMMARY
T3 | Nadia Barbary homered to left field. TAMU 0, MSU 1
B5 | With one out, Amari Harper was bit by a pitch. Keely Williams singled through the right side and a throwing error from the right fielder and third baseman allowed Harper to score. TAMU 1, MSU 1
B6 | Julia Cottrill homered to right center field. TAMU 2, MSU 1
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head coach Trisha Ford
On today’s performance…
“I thought Madison Preston came in and did a serviceable job. She struggled a little bit with her command, but Emiley Kennedy came in and looked lights out. We did enough offensively to win.”
Junior catcher Julia Cottrill
On the game-winning home run…
“My first two at-bats were ugly, but everyone in the dugout between my second and third at-bats came up and calmed me down and reminded me who I was. I just needed to stay relaxed in the box.”
Sophomore LHP Emiley Kennedy
On keeping her composure on the mound…
“I just told myself to not let anything get too big. A base runner is just a base runner. The next batter is the most important out you have to get.”