Game #37: No. 11 Georgia 10, No. 15 Texas A&M 6
Records: Texas A&M (25-12, 7-4), Georgia (28-9, 7-4)
WP: Ada Little (4-1)
LP: Kate Munnerlyn (3-4)
Save: Addisen Fisher (2)
Box Score
Game #38: No. 15 Texas A&M 2, No. 11 Georgia 1
Records: Texas A&M (26-12, 8-4), Georgia (28-10, 7-5)
WP: Sydney Lessentine (11-3)
LP: Addisen Fisher (8-3)
Save: Sidne Peters (3)
Box Score
Not every game is sunshine and rainbows at Davis Diamond, as the rainy, humid weather ushered in a doubleheader split for the No. 15 Texas A&M softball team.
The Aggies took the series on Good Friday against No. 11 Georgia, losing the opener 10-6 and winning the finale 2-1.
The Aggies are now 26-12 overall, and 8-4 in conference play, after securing an upset series victory for the first time this season.
“I think it was a hard-fought series win for our team,” A&M head coach Trisha Ford said. “Very proud of us for bouncing back.”
The Aggies allowed 14 hits and lost by four to begin the doubleheader, but they showed resiliency against the Bulldogs, holding them to one run on seven hits in the rubber match.
A&M used five pitchers throughout both games, but sophomore Sydney Lessentine led the charge in game two. She held the Bulldogs to seven hits, one run and struck out three batters in 5.2 innings of work.
As fireworks painted the sky from across the street, Sidne Peters was called from the bullpen to get the Aggies out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth. Peters struck out Georgia shortstop Emily Digby, stranding both runners on base. Peters then struck out the final two Bulldog batters in the seventh to earn her third save of the year and seal the series.
“(Peters) came into really stressful and high-leverage situations,” Ford said. “I think, overall, it really begins and ends in the circle. When our pitchers come out and are hitting our spots and making plays, I think our whole team follows suit.”
Freshman pinch hitter Maddie Sauni came in clutch for the Aggie offense on Friday, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI on the day. In game two, Sauni’s RBI scored sophomore shortstop KK Dement across the plate in the second.
On Thursday night, Sauni hit the game-winning RBI to win the series opener 3-2. Overall, Sauni averaged .750 and slugged 1.000 on the weekend.
“She’s one of the best people I’ve ever played with,” senior third baseman Kennedy Powell said. “I love having her in the dugout. She keeps the energy up. Anytime something’s going wrong, you can look to Maddie to pick up the team, and I’m so glad she’s here.”
Sophomore catcher Ariel Kowalewski and senior Micaela Wark had back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning of game one, followed by a solo shot by former Bulldog Paislie Allen. The long balls cut the deficit to 9-5 in the sixth, giving Aggie fans a sliver of hope in the losing effort.
Powell had a shining moment of her own in game one, hitting a double into left field, advancing to third and scoring on a throwing error in the sixth inning. The run brought the Aggies within three, but it wasn’t enough to surpass the Bulldog offense.
Powell then had an RBI double in game two, this time bringing the winning run across the plate in the bottom of the fourth, 2-1.
“I’m making sure I’m doing everything for my team,” Powell said. “I know my teammates look up to me, so I’m making sure to stay in the right mindset and understand the next pitch. It’s a game of failure that we play, so if something happens on offense, you go out on defense and do your job and just continue.”
Despite glimmering moments on offense, base running miscues in game one led to four offensive outs, including an A&M challenge for obstruction at home plate that was not overturned.
“We can’t do some of the things we do at this level, period,” Ford said. “Fear is a good thing. Everybody on that field, except for transfers, were with us last year, so they lived it. That’s the importance of learning and staying with it. Even though maybe you’re not participating in the game, you’re learning how to play at this level.”
Despite some shaky steps, the Aggies have now won three out of the four SEC series they’ve played this season and look to continue adding tallies to their win column.
