State salvages Sunday finale to end No. 17 A&M's eight-game heater
Game #28: No. 21 Mississippi State 6, No. 17 Texas A&M 5
Records: Texas A&M (25-3, 5-1), Mississippi State (21-6, 3-3)
WP: Aspen Wesley (7-2)
LP: Emiley Kennedy (13-2)
Box Score
No. 17 Texas A&M fell to No. 21 Mississippi State on Sunday in a grueling battle, 6-5.
Unlike Saturday’s performance in game one, Mississippi State starting pitcher Aspen Wesley flipped a switch as she had nine strikeouts on the day.
Conversely, Emiley Kennedy fell into an early rut as she had difficulty finding the strike zone, allowing eight walks.
However, Kennedy’s defense capitalized when needed. To end the third, Allie Enright’s cannon from right field gunned down Paige Cook at the plate to preserve what was a 4-3 A&M lead.
The only hits through the first two innings were home runs for each side. The Aggies got off to a quick start as Aiyana Coleman stepped up to the plate and smashed a three-run homer to advance an early lead, 3-0.
The Bulldogs quickly responded as Madison Kennedy hammered a three-run home run to even the score, 3-3.
While Madison Kennedy was victorious in their first matchup, Emiley Kennedy got revenge by leaving her looking in the box during her second appearance.
In the top of the second, Jazmine Hill sent a line drive gliding over the center field wall to take a 4-3 lead.
Beyond that, the Aggies continued to find difficulty vs. Wesley’s performance in the circle. Wesley’s riseball had the Aggies chasing most of the game, which resulted in her nine strikeouts.
After Hill’s second-inning homer, A&M did not score for four more innings.
By then, it was too little, too late.
The Bulldogs took advantage of Kennedy’s uncharacteristic performance in the circle as Natalie Barbary’s fourth-inning double to left center brought in Brylie St. Clair to tie the score, 4-4.
Emiley Kennedy continued to battle in a long-winded sixth inning, but a run-scoring wild pitch and a Ella Wesolowski RBI single proved to be too much for A&M to overcome.
An aggressive Rylen Wiggins swing in the top of the seventh resulted in a solo home run, but any hopes of a comeback would be shortlived.
A&M is now 5-1 in SEC play and will take on a non-conference foe on Wednesday as they travel to San Marcos to battle Texas State on Wednesday.