Texas A&M Softball Falls to Tennessee, 3-2, in Nine Innings at SEC Tournament

(Source: Crimson Tide Photos/UA Athletics)

By: Marissa Avanzato, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Texas A&M softball fell to Tennessee, 3-2, in nine innings in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament Wednesday evening at Rhoads Stadium. All-SEC First Team selection, Makinzy Herzog did it all for the Aggies, both in the batter’s box and in the circle. The junior finished 4-for-5 with two doubles and two home runs. In the circle, she did not allow a hit until the ninth inning, tossing 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, while fanning two.

Tennessee quickly took the lead in the bottom of first inning on a sac fly, but Herzog’s solo shot in the top of the third knotted the game at one.

Both teams put traffic on the basepaths for the next six innings, but neither team was able to get anything across until Herzog came through for the Aggies once again in the top of the ninth. With two outs, the Missouri City, Texas, native launched her 13th home run of the season to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Vols began the bottom half of the ninth inning with a leadoff single and followed with a fielder’s choice after the Aggies threw out the lead runner at second. Tennessee’s Chelsea Seggern walked and Ivy Davis hit an RBI double to left center to plate both runners to heartbreak the Maroon & White with a 3-2 walk-off Tennessee victory.

In the circle, Kayla Poynter earned the start for Texas A&M. The senior tossed 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, yielding one run, while tallying a strikeout. Herzog pitched the remaining 4.1 innings.

The Aggies drop to 31-21 on the season, while the Lady Vols improve to 40-12.

KEY INNINGS
B1| Amanda Ayala singled down the right field line and advanced to third on a double by Ashley Morgan. Ally Shipman flied out to center for a sac fly to score Ayala. TN 1, A&M 0

T3| Makinzy Herzog homered to left center. TN 1, A&M 1

T9| Makinzy Herzog hit her second home run of the game over the right field fence. A&M 2, TN 1

B9| Ally Shipman singled down the left field line and Treasuary Poindexter pinch ran for her. Rylie West reached on a fielder’s choice and Chelsea Seggern walked. Ivy Davis doubled to left center to score Poindexter and Seggern. TN 3, A&M 2

Top Offensive Player:
Makinzy Herzog| 4-for-5, 2 HR

Pitching Breakdown:
Kayla Poynter – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 2 BB
Makinzy Herzog (12-6) – 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 SO, 3 BB

WHAT THEY SAID
Head Coach Jo Evans
On the team’s battle…
“You know, I like our fight. We need to win. We need to win games when we position ourselves to win in the seventh inning and the eighth inning. Going into the bottom of that inning, we’ve got to find ways to win games. We’ve got to have our pitching staff bear down and find a way to get out and we clearly have to be better at that. In terms of fighting, in terms of how we’re playing defense, in terms of expecting to win. We’re just right there. You can’t get any closer than we are without, you know, being there winning games. I’m not sure how you position yourself any better than what we’re doing right now. We’ve got to find a way to close it off.”

ON DECK
The NCAA Division I softball selection show is set for Sunday, May 16 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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