Story by Nick Whitley, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Aided by a stellar performance in the batter’s box by freshman outfielder Bre Warren, Texas A&M softball posted a 2-1 victory against No. 23 South Carolina, to complete the series sweep of the Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Davis Diamond.
With the team’s third straight victory in the books, Texas A&M climbs to 23-5 overall with a strong 4-2 start to the Southeastern Conference regular season. In addition, the Aggies recorded their first SEC series sweep at Davis Diamond since the state-of-the-art facility opened against the Auburn Tigers on April 27-29, 2018. In defeat, South Carolina drops to 17-10 with an 0-6 start in SEC play.
After an uneventful top of the first inning, Warren sent her first collegiate home run over the right field wall to give the Aggies an early 1-0 lead. South Carolina loaded the bases with no outs in the top half of the second, but came up empty thanks to an expert defensive effort from the Maroon & White. After excellent baserunning by the Aggies, Warren continued her spectacular afternoon in the batter’s box with a single in the bottom of the fifth that sent Madi Jatzlau home to expand the lead to 2-0. South Carolina added a run in the top of the seventh, but Makinzy Herzog’s strikeout in the Gamecock’s final at-bat secured the win.
The series featured a wide array of impressive performances by the Aggies, highlighted by strong starts in all three games. A&M outscored South Carolina in the first inning by a 9-0 margin and an 18-6 differential overall. In the all-time series between the two programs, the Maroon & White improve to 27-15 overall with a 12-3 mark in Aggieland.
On the afternoon, the College Station, Texas, native Warren, finished 2-for-2 in the box while batting in a pair of runs. In addition to her home run ball, the freshman now leads the Aggies with a .451 batting average. A&M’s designated player, Kelly Martinez, recorded her second hit of the series in the bottom of the third and finished 1-for-2 on the day.
In the circle, Herzog continued her standout junior campaign by pitching a complete game with seven strikeouts and scattering three hits. The Missouri City, Texas, native allowed only one run in her 10th start of the season. Herzog has pitched seven complete games this year and boasts a 9-1 overall record.
KEY INNINGS
B1 | With one out on the board, Bre Warren launched her first collegiate home run over the right field wall of Davis Diamond to give the Aggies an early lead. A&M 1, SC 0
B5 | Kelly Martinez was hit by a pitch and Madi Jatzlau came in to pinch run for her. Jatzlau then stole second and was able to advance to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Makinzy Herzog drew a walk and forced South Carolina to make a pitching change. Warren singled to the pitcher which advanced Herzog to second and sent Jatzlau home. A&M 2, SC 0
T7 | Pinch hitter Riley Blampied walked and moved to second on Chooch Carroll’s groundout. Blampied advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an Aggie throwing error. A&M 2, SC 1
Top Offensive Players:
Bre Warren| 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI
Kelly Martinez| 1-for-1
Pitching Breakdown:
Makinzy Herzog (9-1) – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 5 BB
WHAT THEY SAID
Head Coach Jo Evans
On Bre Warren’s special day…
“You can see how excited our whole team was for Bre and anybody who gets their first collegiate home run. It’s a really exciting time, and to do it in your freshman year and to do it in front of your home crowd and your hometown. Every time Bre goes up there, she’s going to be a hometown favorite, and you know she’s worked really hard. She’s put in extra time and worked hard to get herself in the lineup, and she’s been one of our most consistent hitters through our lineup. You’d be hard-pressed to find a hitter, you know, Haley Lee, of course, but throughout our lineup to see someone who’s been so consistent, day in and day out, and really proud of the freshman and what she’s doing right now and just her potential to build on what she’s done.”
Freshman OF Bre Warren
On the feeling after hitting her first career home run …
“Honestly, it just felt good to finally see that the work that I have been putting in has paid off. It was just a big relief and a confidence boost, knowing that I can do it and just being able to do it for my team was really fun.”
ON DECK
Texas A&M softball looks ahead to a doubleheader, as the Aggies welcome the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders to Davis Diamond on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.