Game #26: No. 16 Texas A&M 7, No. 17 Louisiana State 2
Records: Texas A&M (18-8, 1-0), Louisiana State (18-8, 0-4)
WP: Sydney Lessentine (8-1)
LP: Jayden Heavener (6-5)
Save: Sidne Peters (1)
Box Score
The state of Louisiana is known for vibrant celebrations and having a good time.
That sentiment was no different for the Aggies on Saturday night, as the No. 16 Texas A&M corralled the No. 17 LSU Tigers 7-2 in the first of a three-game series to open SEC play.
The Aggie win is the 17th against the Tigers all-time, and it marks the first win at Tiger Park since March 20, 2021.
“I thought we did a great job today, a good opening game,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “Some of the things we talked about was pitching well and executing our game plan, so I thought we did a great job with that.”
The Maroon & White came out hot in the top of the first, loading the bases for sophomore shortstop KK Dement. She dealt a sacrifice fly deep to right field, sending senior third baseman Kennedy Powell across the plate to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.
Dement later drilled her fifth home run of the year, extending the advantage to 5-1 in the top of the fifth.
Her shot marks the 11th game in a row with a home run for A&M. The Maroon & White have gone yard in 22 out of 26 games this season.
First baseman Mya Perez went 3-for-3 on the night, smashing an RBI double in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth. Her 11th of the season, Perez’s shot pushed the score 7-1 heading into the seventh for the Aggies.
“We had some big balls tonight from Mya (Perez) and KK (Dement),” Ford said. “We made some adjustments throughout the game, which I thought was good.”
LSU didn’t go down without a fight, as first baseman Tori Edwards recorded an RBI single in the fourth inning. The Tigers then attempted a last-chance claw-back in the seventh.
Facing a bases-loaded situation, sophomore pitcher Kate Munnerlyn walked LSU third baseman Avery Hodge to push the score to 7-2.
Munnerlyn was subbed out for junior right-handed pitcher Sidne Peters. Facing the top of the Tiger order, she got center fielder Jaila Lassiter looking on strike three to end the game, tallying her first save of the year.
Left-handed pitcher Sydney Lessentine etched another tally to her win column, bringing her record to 8-1 on the season. Lessentine pitched 4.0 innings against the Tigers, recording two strikeouts, one run, one hit and one walk.
The Aggies opened night one of SEC play with a bang and hope to continue their route throughout the weekend. Game two of the three-game series against the Bayou Bengals continues Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
