A&M begins Ford era in dominant fashion with 12-2 thrashing of Tarleton

If Trisha Ford was hoping for a good start in Aggieland, she got a great one.

Texas A&M opened its 2023 campaign and the Ford era with a 12-2 splattering of Tarleton at Davis Diamond. Behind standout performances at the plate and in the circle, the Aggies cruised to a five-inning, run-rule victory in the Texas A&M Invitational.

"I definitely wanted to start off on the right foot," Ford said of her first win as head coach of the Aggies. "It's important to me. This place, I've really enjoyed it, and I want to make this university proud.

"I want it for the players. They've worked really, really hard this fall, and you want to see them take what they got in the fall and be able to execute it on game day."

In the circle, Emily Leavitt befuddled Texan hitters over 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out four.

"My screwball was working very well for me," Leavitt said. "That's usually my go-to pitch, so it's nice when it's working."

Leavitt, a Minnesota transfer, carried a perfect game into the fourth before an Austin Germain infield single wrecked her gem. Still, Leavitt finished with just two hits allowed.

"The thing that makes pitching successful is pounding the zone," Ford said. "Pound the zone and spread when you need to. (Leavitt) did a really good job of throwing strikes when she needed to and spreading when she didn't have to."

Tarleton's only runs were of the unearned variety after Trinity Cannon committed back-to-back errors after Emiley Kennedy relieved Leavitt.

Catcher Julia Cottrill went 4-for-4 with five RBIs in her Aggie debut. A transfer from Oklahoma State, Cottrill ended up a home run shy of the cycle in her first game in Maroon & White.

"The biggest thing that I've been working on since I got here is my pitch selection; being able to control my strike zone and hunt a pitch that I want to hit vs. pitching pitcher's pitches," Cottrill said. "That's what my goal was today; go out there and get a feel for it again."

A&M's offensive barrage started early. After a Koko Wooley walk in the bottom of the first, Cottrill smashed a run-scoring triple deep down the right-field line. On the very next pitch, Cannon split the gap in left-center to drive Cottrill home.

"Have a day," Ford said of Cottrill. "I told her every day that's my expectation now."

The floodgates opened in the third as the Aggies scored six runs on just four hits, taking advantage of four walks and a hit batter in the frame.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

In total, the Aggies compiled 10 hits against Tarleton in only five innings. 

True freshmen Keely Williams and Riley Valentine each notched their first career RBIs without putting the ball in play on a bases-loaded walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.

"It definitely makes you a lot more comfortable," Leavitt said of her offense's production. "It's makes it a lot easier when you don't have to worry about that."

For good measure, the Aggies tacked on four more in the fourth via two-run doubles by Star Ferguson and Cottrill.

"It feels really good," Cottrill said. "I'm excited. I really want to keep it going. I think being able to contribute to my pitchers is a big help as well in any way I can, whether that's behind the plate or hitting."

The Maroon & White continues the Texas A&M Invitational with a Friday doubleheader, facing Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m. CT before a 7:30 nightcap with Tarleton.