Hill's walk-off single lifts A&M to Friday night victory over Kentucky, 5-4

Game #37: No. 14 Texas A&M 5, Kentucky 4
Records: Texas A&M (30-7, 9-4), Kentucky (23-13, 2-8)
WP: Emiley Kennedy (15-5)
LP: Stephanie Schoonover
Box Score

"When you execute the hard, good things happen."

That was Texas A&M head coach Trisha Ford’s message postgame on Friday night.

The No. 14 Aggies clinched a 5-4 win over the Kentucky Wildcats via a walk-off double by Jazmine Hill in the seventh inning that scored Koko Wooley. A&M now sits at 30-7 on the season and 9-4 in Southeastern Conference play.

"You have to love the hard," Ford reiterated.

The Aggies have experienced a lot of "hard" this season. Friday’s victory was no different. 

A&M's ace Emiley Kennedy had difficulty in the circle early, giving up a pair of home runs that allowed Kentucky to lead 4-0 by the top of the second. 

Similarly, the Aggies found trouble in the box early against Kentucky’s Stephanie Schoonover, who finished the day with four strikeouts and was able to overcome as the game progressed.

"Schoonover is pretty dynamic," Ford said. "She has been successful for many years, and I thought we did a good job of not chasing her pitches."

Kelly Cothern, TexAgs

Friday represents A&M’s second true walk-off win in SEC play in 2024 with the other coming on Trinity Cannon’s 10th-inning homer vs. South Carolina on March 9

However, the Aggies were able to find their groove by focusing on the little things. 

"We had some unselfish at-bats, either walks, hit by pitches, hitting behind a runner, moving runners up, some sacrifice flies," Ford said. "We've talked about this how many times? It's the little things that are going to win ball games. Everyone in the SEC is good. If we don't show up, we're going to get run off the field."

This time, they showed up in a big way.

The Aggies' first run of the night came via a Hill single to plate Kennedy Powell. A&M added two more in that inning due to a fielding error by the catcher. 

By then, A&M had the momentum. 

While still facing a one-score deficit, the Maroon & White did not let up on either front.

Four 1-2-3 innings followed for the Wildcats lineup due to Kennedy's dominating presence in the circle.

While having a slow start, Kennedy finished with six strikeouts.

"We had a couple of key 1-2-3 outs that got us back in the dugout to hit really quickly," Ford said. "I feel like those really help with momentum, especially when we are efficient in the circle."

In the fourth inning, Harper reached first on a throwing error that brought in Gracyn Coleman to tie the score 4-4. 

Before her game-winning at-bat, Ford told Hill it was her time to step up, and she did exactly that.

Hill hammered a ball between shortstop and third base as Wooley crossed home to secure a walk-off victory.

"Each at-bat at a time, I was adjusting to what she was throwing," Hill said. "I knew eventually she was going to pound me in the zone, so my biggest thing was to hunt the end and have a plan."

Again, the Aggies overcame the "hard" to get the results they deserved.

"There is a difference between showing up and coming and competing your tails off every single pitch," Ford said. "Those look very different. That takes a lot of energy and discipline to do all of those things."

A&M looks to clinch a hard-earned series victory on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.