Credit to Tyler Pounds | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M senior Trinity Cannon blasted a 265-foot walk-off grand slam, while junior Emiley Kennedy recorded a career-high 16 strikeouts, in an extra innings thriller over UTSA, 5-1, Sunday afternoon at Davis Diamond.
In the bottom of the eighth knotted at one, Cannon stepped to the plate with the bases juiced and one out. She quickly faced an 0-2 count, before battling back to a full count and connecting on the payoff pitch to end the game.
It was the small ball game that sparked Texas A&M (14-1) and evened things up as Koko Wooley bunted for a single that forced an errant throw scoring Amari Harper from second as Wooley replaced the vacant base. Keely Williams laid a sacrifice bunt to move Wooley 60-feet closer to victory. UTSA (4-12) intentionally walked Julia Cottrill and Jazmine Hill to load the bases with one out, before Cannon’s bell ringer.
Emiley Kennedy was nearly flawless striking out a career-high 16 batters, including six batters looking, while maintaining a no-hitter through the first seven innings. The lefty hard thrower punched out at least two Roadrunners in seven of the eight frames, including all three in the sixth. The 16 punchouts marked the most for an Aggie pitcher since Kayla Poynter did so against Abilene Christian on Feb. 8, 2020.
Kennedy’s lone blemish came in the top of the eighth when the Roadrunners knocked a single to left center to score the runner from third that was originally placed on second due to the international tie-breaker rule.
The Maroon & White finished the Texas A&M Invitational with a 5-1 ledger, including three run-rule victories. Ol’ Sarge’s charges hit 10 round trippers, including at least one in four games and five dingers against North Dakota State Saturday night.
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to Davis Diamond Tuesday night at 6 p.m. against Sam Houston.
AGGIE TOP PERFORMERS
Trinity Cannon – 1-for-1, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Koko Wooley – 2-for-4, 1 SB, 1 R
Emiley Kennedy (W, 7-0) – 8.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 16 K
SCORING SUMMARY
T8| On an international tie breaker, UTSA struck first with a single to left center from Erykah Guerrero that brought home Lindsey Davis to put the Roadrunners up. TAMU 0, UTSA 1
B8| Koko Wooley bunted and advanced to second on the throwing error, which allowed Harper to score from second. Following an intentional walk to Julia Cottrill and Jazmine Hill, Trinity Cannon blasted a homer to left center to secure the win. TAMU 5, UTSA 1