COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Aggie softball dropped a heartbreaker to Arizona State 4-3 before bouncing back with a 10-4 win over UConn to stay alive in the regional. Texas A&M must now beat the Sun Devils on Sunday to advance to the super regionals.
Against Arizona State, the Aggies controlled most of the game but fell apart in the final inning. Mikayla Rourke got things started with a 2-run homer, but the Sun Devils answered with a 2-run homer of their own in the same inning. Kelsey Mathis singled in a run in the 4th to give the Aggies the lead back. In the top of the 7th, Arizona State got to Sidney Peters for 2 runs, taking the 4-3 lead for good. The Aggies could not respond in the final frame.
Head Coach Trisha Ford said the team needs to maintain its focus for a full game.
"We just have to stay focused for 7 innings. I thought we did a good job early on in the game, then we put some pressure on, and then it's just a game of momentum, and I felt like it just kept going back and forth, back and forth," Ford said.
In the elimination game against UConn, the Aggies came out swinging, putting up 3 runs in the first inning through smart base running and timely singles. The Huskies got one of those runs back on a throwing error. KK Dement hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 4th to extend the lead to 6-1. Ariel Kowaleski added an RBI single, and Dement drove in another run with an RBI single in the 5th to push the lead to 5. UConn cut into the deficit in the bottom of the 6th with a solo homer and an RBI single, trimming the lead to 3.
Sydney Lessentine pitched 5 innings, allowing only 2 earned runs and recording 6 strikeouts. Kate Munnerlyn came in to help finish the 6th with 2 strikeouts. Kowaleski put the game away with a 2-run home run in the top of the 7th, and Paislie Allen added a solo home run in the same inning.
Texas A&M now turns its attention to a rematch with Arizona State on Sunday, needing a win to advance to the super regionals.
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