No. 6 Aggies dominate No. 22 Auburn on Saturday afternoon, 13-2
Game #26: No. 6 Texas A&M 13, No. 22 Auburn 2 (5 innings)
Records: Texas A&M (23-4, 3-2), Auburn (20-7, 0-5)
WP: Sidne Peters (6-0)
LP: Haley Rainey (3-1)
Box Score
After a tense defensive affair the night before, No. 6 Texas A&M’s bats caught fire for 14 hits en route to clinching the series with a 13-2 run-rule victory over the No. 22 Auburn Tigers.
With Auburn’s senior right-handed pitcher struggling to command the ball, A&M managed to manufacture a run in the first. Senior shortstop Koko Wooley snuck a single past the shortstop before stealing second. Sophomore first baseman Mya Perez’s sacrifice fly brought the speedster home to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.
Aggressiveness on the base paths became a theme in the first inning when Auburn used a designed play to give senior right fielder Icess Tresvik enough time to scurry home thanks to a Wooley error in a total defensive breakdown for the Aggies.
The Tigers took the lead when freshman designated player AnnaLea Adams got her barrel under a sophomore RHP Sidne Peters pitch to arc a sacrifice fly to center field that scored senior SS Nelia Peralta.
As the Aggies’ bats began to heat up in the second inning, sophomore catcher Kylie Brockman began to melt down. Three passed balls against the Kansas City native allowed A&M to repeatedly advance on the bags, including graduate designated player Mac Barbara coming home.
Freshman pinch runner Kelsey Mathis and senior center fielder Allie Enright also scored, and Wooley reached first due to a fielding error. Junior third baseman Kennedy Powell gave herself a birthday present with a well-hit double that sent Wooley tearing around the bases for A&M’s fourth and final run of the second inning.
With the game now 5-2, A&M’s offense kept humming.
The Aggies seemingly had magnets in their bats, consistently latching onto Tiger pitches no matter who was in the circle, with eight hits through three innings. The first three batters of the third inning got on base, setting the stage for Enright to crack the game wide open.
The Santa Clarita, Calif., kid sent a fly ball high into the Auburn outfield that led to a poor throw that allowed Barbara and junior RF Amari Harper to score unearned runs and make it 7-2.
After a third-straight scoreless inning pitched by Peters, A&M crept closer to the run rule.
Harper donned the Howdy Hat after she launched a solo homer to left center, making it 8-2. After yet another lethargic showing from the Tigers’ offense and Peters facing only four batters in the fourth, A&M had the chance to plunge the dagger into Auburn’s heart with one more offensive explosion.
The Aggies tacked on five more runs via the bats of Perez, Harper and Barbara to balloon the score to 13-2. Coach Trisha Ford elected to go with senior RHP Emily Leavitt to close it out, and the Chino, Calif., native pitched a scoreless final frame to end it.
A&M will look for the series sweep on Sunday, March 15, at 2 p.m. CT.