The Aggies pulled out a 4-3 win in game one before clobbering the Ladyjacks 9-0 in six innings in game two.
In game one, redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk connected in the top of the second for the first hit of the game, a single through the right side that advanced freshman Nicole Morgan, who reached on ball four, to second base. Both runners were left stranded, and the game remained scoreless.
The third inning proved to be a big one for the Aggies. Junior Kelsea Orsak led off with a double off the center field fence, her first two-base hit of the season. Junior Natalie Villarreal followed with a single, advancing to second on the throw and sending Orsak in for the first run of the game.
Villarreal scored on a single to left by sophomore Meagan May, after advancing to third on freshman Cassie Tysarczyk’s sacrifice bunt. With the Aggies leading 2-0 and only one out, senior Rhiannon Kliesing stepped into the box and slammed a home run well over the fence at right-center. The long ball earned two RBI on Kliesing and pinch-running freshman Kaydee Rayburn, pushing A&M ahead 4-0.
The Ladyjacks threatened to rally with two runs in the bottom of the inning. After two immediate outs, right fielder Lauren Luetge drew a walk and was forced to second when Elizabeth Arana was hit by a pitch. Luetge attempted to steal second and was chased down by Villarreal. Villarreal dropped the ball on the tag, however, and suffered an error in the failed pickoff. Third baseman Cadie Weaver doubled down the right field line and earned two RBI on Luetge and Arana’s runs, both unearned.
SFA struck again in the sixth with a one-run homer. Shortstop Bethany Brown led the half-inning and connected for the long ball over the left field fence, narrowing the score to 4-3.
In the next inning, SFA center fielder Amber Price hit a double that bounced off of the fence in left and was followed onto the bags by Arana, who hit a double of her own down the right field line and advanced Price to third. Third baseman Cadie Weaver took a pitch to the left hip to load the bags with one out.
Sisk threw Brown and right fielder Krista Hallmark out swinging in the two next at-bats, keeping the Aggies ahead of a 4-3 decision to end the game. With the win, the Murrieta, Calif., native is 2-1 in her third start of the season. Ladyjack hurler Monika Covington is 0-3.
In game two A&M got another early lead with an RBI single by May. Villarreal and Tysarczyk drew walks from Stephen F. Austin pitcher Carlie Thomas. Kliesing loaded the bases with a single to right field. May stepped up and popped a single in the gap, sending Villarreal home for the 1-0 advantage.
Orsak drew a walk to lead off the second inning and was batted to second on a single up the middle by Villarreal. Kliesing added a single of her own into right field, scoring Orsak. The Pearland, Texas, native tried to round first but was thrown out in the attempt.
Villarreal led off in the fifth with a single through the right side. She advanced to third when first baseman Luetge missed a throw from short in an attempt to tag freshman pinch hitter Emily Albus out at first. Albus advanced to second on the error.
Kliesing drew a walk and once again loaded the bags. May took ball four behind her and forced a run by Villarreal. Sophomore Sydney Shannon forced another run when she walked, and brought the score to 4-0. Garza stepped up and slugged a double down the left field line, earning two RBI in the act. Sophomore Lauren Schwirtlich, pinch running for Shannon, scored the final run of the inning on a passed ball by the SFA catcher. A&M finished the half-inning ahead by seven.
Dumezich quickly struck out three in the bottom of the inning to enter the sixth with a 7-0 lead. Villarreal led off again and hit her third single of the game, to right. Albus followed with an infield bunt to the pitcher, beating the throw for another single.
Spittler loaded the bases with a third single in three batters, into the gap. Shannon scored Villarreal and Albus on a two-RBI double, expanding the Aggies’ lead to 9-0 at the end of the game.
Dumezich (2-2) earned the win with a season-high ten strikeouts, while Thomas (0-3) suffered the loss with eight earned runs.
The Aggies take on UT Arlington at the Aggie Softball Complex as a part of the Aggie Classic Friday at 2:30 p.m. Log on to AggieAthletics.com for more information on A&M softball.