COLLEGE STATION – The No. 12 Texas A&M softball team defeated ninth-ranked South Carolina, 2-1, in a pitcher’s duel Saturday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
Aggie starter Samantha Show (10-3) was awarded the win, throwing her ninth complete game of the season, only allowing one run and four hits while fanning seven. The junior only allowed four batters to touch second base and threw a strikeout in every inning.
Offensively for Texas A&M (32-7, 5-3 SEC), Sarah Hudek was the deciding factor for Aggies with her two-run dinger in the first inning, her fourth of the season. Three of the Aggies’ six hits came in the first inning, and both runs were plated in the first two at bats of the game. The top four hitters in the Aggie lineup accounted for all six hits, going 6-for-12 on the day. Tori Vidales had herself a perfect day for the Aggies going 3-for-3, all of which were singles.
Dixie Raley was saddled with the loss for South Carolina (29-6, 5-3 SEC) to move to her season record to 8-2. The northpaw gave up six hits, two runs and walked two with two strikeouts in six innings of work.
KEY INNINGS
T1 | South Carolina struck first with a two-out solo blast to deep center by senior Alyssa VanDerveer, her sixth home run of the season. SC 1, A&M 0
B1 | The Aggies quickly took back the lead, plating two in the bottom half of the frame. Keeli Mulligan started things off with a double to left field, prior to Sarah Hudek taking Dixie Riley deep for a two-run blast to left center. A&M 2, SC 1
Top Offensive Players:
Tori Vidales | 3-3, 3 1B
Sarah Hudek | 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Samantha Show (10-3, 2.18 ERA) – W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
WHAT THEY SAID
Texas A&M Head Coach Jo Evans
On today’s performance…
“It’s a really interesting and fascinating game to sit down and watch. In pregame I said to our kids, if they score 17, we’re scoring 18, and we’ll be okay with that. I said if it’s a one-run game, we’ll win 1-0. I’m really proud of Samantha Show out there. She competed on the mound. It was huge that Keeli [Milligan] got out there in the first. She did a really good job in the strike zone and didn’t try to swing too early and she got herself in a good hitter’s count and then gets that ball through the outfield. Then Sarah Hudek came up and got that ball out there, and I thought, we’re going to score some runs today. We just kind of fell off, but that’s the game where you need your pitcher to come and take care of business, and Sam did.”
On Sarah Hudek…
“I’m loving having her out there. I love her swagger of play. I love that she’s out there to hit. She’s swinging the bat, not looking to walk or be a finessed hitter. That’s not her. I love the way she’s handling herself out there. That was a huge two-run home run she hit.”
On Samantha Show…
“I thought she did a nice job. She had some big strikeouts in key situations and made some big pitches at key times too, and that’s what great pitchers are supposed to do. She didn’t get rattled in that last inning when she gets down to two with [South Carolina pinch-hitter Alyssa Kumiyama] and she could have easily panicked a little, but she didn’t. She got that huge strikeout there instead, and she did a nice job keeping the ball down today.”
ON DECK
The Aggies go for the sweep against South Carolina Sunday at 11 a.m. The game can be seen on ESPNU.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can follow the Aggies wherever they go by following @AggieSoftball on Instagram and Twitter or on Facebook at Facebook.com/TAMUSoftball.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics