COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 5 Texas A&M softball team completed a series sweep of Arkansas as the Aggies run-ruled the Razorbacks, 9-1 in five innings, Sunday in the series finale between the teams. The Aggies improve to 26-2 (4-1 SEC) on the season, while Arkansas moves to 19-10 (0-3 SEC).
A&M took the series sweep after a 2-1 walk-off win on Friday and a 7-3 victory Saturday, handing the Razorbacks three losses in their first conference weekend.
The Luck of the Irish was with the Aggies in the series finale on St. Patrick’s Day as the team plated nine runs on 10 hits, including a pair of back-to-back home runs by junior Nicole Morgan. All of A&M’s runs came with two outs on the board.
Arkansas got the first bite of the game, with an RBI double in the top of the first, but the solo run was the only one the Razorbacks would score on the day.
Morgan started the scoring frenzy for A&M with a two-out bomb over left field in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman Cali Lanphear followed suit in the same frame, clearing the fence down the left-field line and plating senior Mel Dumezich, who reached on a walk, on the two-run home run.
Leading 3-1 in the bottom of the second, the Aggies stretched out to a 7-1 jump as they hit through the lineup. A pair of one-out base hits by junior Cassie Tysarczyk and sophomore Brittany Clopton put runners on the bags and, with two outs, senior Meagan May ripped a double into the fence in right-centerfield to score Tysarczyk and Clopton for the 5-1 lead.
With May at second, Morgan went yard for the second time in as many at-bats as A&M improved to 7-1 against the Razorbacks.
The bottom of the third did the trick for the eight-after-five run-rule when A&M scored two runs to get to a 9-1 lead. Tysarczyk led off in the inning with a double to right-centerfield and was joined on the bags by junior Emily Albus, who reached on a bunt single and stole second. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Dumezich singled through the left side and scored the pair.
A&M freshman Kristen Davenport entered to pitch in the top of the fifth after Dumezich (18-1) threw four complete frames, allowing just one earned run on one hit while fanning five. Davenport gave up one hit but shut down three batters to hold the 9-1 score and end the game in a run-rule in her first SEC appearance.
Arkansas’ Chelsea Cohen (9-4) suffered the loss after allowing seven earned runs on six hits and a walk through 1.2 innings in the circle.
The Aggies travel to No. 6 Tennessee for a three-game series with the Lady Volunteers. Game one is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by game two Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The series finale will be Sunday at 12:30 p.m. All times are Central. To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to AggieAthletics.com and follow @AggieSoftball on Twitter.
Story Courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics