Credit to Tyler Pounds | Assistant Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 21 Texas A&M softball team dropped the rubber match, 9-2, losing the series to No. 3 Tennessee, Sunday afternoon at Davis Diamond.
After defensive showcases in the first two games of the series, errors doomed Texas A&M (22-13, 5-7 SEC) as Tennessee (29-3, 10-2 SEC) scored five runs in the fifth inning to take a commanding 8-2 lead. The Lady Vols added an insurance run in the sixth following a hit by pitch, an error, a fielder’s choice and a walk.
Down 2-0 heading to the bottom of the opening frame, the Maroon & White answered back as freshman Keely Williams walked to leadoff, followed by back-to-back singles from junior Trinity Cannon and freshman Aiyana Coleman to score Williams. Junior Rylen Wiggins singled to load the bases before sophomore Koko Wooley was hit by pitch as Cannon crossed home plate to even the score.
Sophomore Emily Kennedy received the loss (5-3) after 4.0 innings allowing three runs, two hits and two walks, while striking out four.
Texas A&M donned blue uniform tops in observation of World Autism Awareness Day.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M continues its homestand hosting Mississippi State in a three-game series beginning Saturday, April 8-10. All three games will air nationally on the SEC Network.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Keely Williams – 0-for-1, 1 R, 3 BB
Trinity Cannon – 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB
SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Rylie West singled and McKenna Gibson was hit by pitch as they both advanced on a passed ball and West scored. Gibson scored after Lair Beautae walked. TAMU 0, UT 2
B1 | Keely Williams walked to lead off the inning followed by Trinity Cannon hitting a single to center field. Aiyana Coleman singled through the left side to score Williams, followed by a Rylen Wiggins single and Koko Wooley hit by pitch to score Cannon. TAMU 2, UT 2
T4 | G. Koutsoyanopulos was hit by pitch and scored following Kiki Milloy’s single through the left side. TAMU 2, UT 3
T5 | Katie Taylor was hit by pitch, followed by Beautae reaching on a fielding error and Mackenzie Donihoo reaching on a fielder’s choice. Koutsoyanopu doubled to right field to score Taylor, Beautae and Donihoo. Koutsoyanopu scored after Brockenbrough singled and a throwing error. Milloy singled through the left side to score Brockenbrough. TAMU 2, UT 8
T6 | Brylee Mesusan pinch ran after Zaida Puni was hit by pitch. Beautae reached on a throwing error, followed by Donihoo reaching on a fielder’s choice and a Koutsoyanopu walk to score Mesusan. TAMU 2, UT 9
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Trisha Ford
On the game overall…
“I thought we did a lot of good things today…We battled through some adversity. Their game plan was to crowd the plate and get hit by pitches and we didn’t make our adjustments. We had our chances, we know this. I think we’re getting better from a three-game series standpoint of our fight in three games. We just got to keep working and getting better.”
On how the team is growing…
“It’s a game of momentum and it’s just something you have to learn. We had some innings where I feel we came in with the momentum and then she just went 1-2-3. We got to make it hard. We have to make her throw more than four pitches in an at-bat. We’re going to get better. We have to start doing those little things in order to capitalize on more opportunities.”