Texas A&M Softball Outlasts Tigers in Series Finale

(Source: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics)

Story by Texas A&M Athletics

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M softball team (24-14, 3-9 SEC) hit throughout its lineup to outlast the No. 21 LSU Tigers (24-16, 5-7 SEC), 5-4, on Sunday to wrap up the three-game series at Davis Diamond.

Senior Haley Lee hit her ninth home run of the season to get things started for the Aggies, while freshman Katie Dack pinch-hit a three-run bomb. Emiley Kennedy and Makinzy Herzog shared pitching duties in the circle, as Herzog secured her seventh win of the season.

TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
vs. No. 21 LSU – W, 5-4

  • Haley Lee: 2-for-3, HR
  • Katie Dack: 1-for-1, HR, 3 RBI

PITCHING BREAKDOWN
vs. No. 21 LSU – W, 5-4

  • Emiley Kennedy: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
  • Makinzy Herzog: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

KEY INNINGS / NOTABLES
vs. No. 21 LSU – W, 5-4

  • Lee blasted a home run over the scoreboard to lead off the opening frame for the Aggies.
  • LSU responded in the top of the second by scratching a pair of unearned runs across to take the one-run lead over A&M.
  • A 248-foot, three-run dinger over the centerfield wall by Dack pushed the Aggies back out in front, 4-1, in the fourth. A&M extended its lead with the speed of Koko Wooley, who charged home from second base to give the Aggies a 5-2 advantage.
  • After a lead-off walk in the top of the seventh, Kennedy returned to the circle and tossed a pair of strikeouts, before the Tigers used a two-run homer to come within one.
  • Herzog stepped back into the circle with two outs and escaped the frame to earn the win for the Aggies.

WHAT THEY SAID

Head coach Jo Evans
On today’s offensive production…
“I thought we did a really nice job following up from yesterday. I talked to the team about this—LSU went out and scored a bunch of runs yesterday and that could have easily turned into a run-rule which means less opportunities for us to time their pitchers and hit their good kids out there. For us to stay in the game yesterday gave us a confidence boost and allowed us to make them dig deep in their bullpen. I’m really proud of our kids for keeping the foot on the gas.”

On the importance of today’s win…
“It was really important for us to get a win. What you see out of our ball club is a lot of fight, these kids don’t quit. For our pitchers to go out there and give us a chance to win a ball game, and I thought Haley Lee really set the tone by going up there and getting a home run in the first at-bat of the game and Katie Dack with a big pinch-hit home run…I’m proud of them.”

Freshman utility player Katie Dack
On her pinch-hit three-run home run…
“I was looking for something outside, something I could drive to bring runners in. I took three balls and knew she had to come at me with a strike and she did, and I just put my best swing at it.”

On the importance of today’s win…
“The win was very needed. I’d say it says a lot about our team’s fight that we’re able to come back and we’re not willing to sit down and accept the losses, but we are willing to fight to get the win.”

UP NEXT
Texas A&M will have a week to prepare for a three-game series next weekend at nationally-ranked Tennessee. The Aggies and the Lady Vols begin play on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT, and all three contests will be featured on the ESPN family of networks.