News Release from Texas A&M Athletics:
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – For the second time this season Trinity Cannon hit a walk-off home run as the No. 19 Texas A&M softball team clinched the opening SEC series with Saturday’s 2-1, 10-inning, triumph over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Diamond.
With two outs in the 10th inning, Cannon put a jolt in Alana Vawter’s 1-0 offering, blasting it over the centerfield fence for her eighth dinger of the season.
Texas A&M (22-2, 2-0 SEC) claimed the opening league series for the second consecutive season after coming up empty four straight years.
Emiley Kennedy (12-1) earned the victory in the circle with 5.0 scoreless innings of relief. She scattered two hits and one walk while striking out four. Brooke Vestal weaved 4.0 blank frames out of the bullpen, issuing just two walks while striking out six.
The Aggies pounced on the Gamecocks with a run in the first thanks to an RBI single by Aiyana Coleman. South Carolina (18-4, 0-2 SEC) answered back in the next half inning, working three walks before Giulia Desiderio was hit by a pitch to knot the game. Vestal entered the circle for Texas A&M and worked out of the bases-loaded, no outs jam. She induced a strikeout, sharp grounder to third and a flyout to keep the Gamecocks at bay.
Texas A&M pitchers held South Carolina hitters to 0-14 with runners on base and 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
UP NEXT
The Aggies go for the series sweep Sunday with action starting at 1 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on the SEC Network with Chuckie Kempf and Madison Shipman on the call.
AGGIE TOP PERFORMERS
Trinity Cannon – 1-for-5, walk-off home run
Emiley Kennedy (W, 12-1) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Brook Vestal – 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | Jazmine Hill extended her on-base streak to 15 games via walk and later scored after Aiyana Coleman drove in her ninth RBI with a single to right field. TAMU 1, USC 0
T2 | Texas A&M gifted South Carolina three free bases, follow by a hit-by-pitch as Desiderio got credited with the RBI scoring Laneaux. TAMU 1, USC 1
B10 | With two outs, Trinity Cannon hit a 1-0 offering over the centerfield fence for the game-winner. TAMU 2, USC 1