The Aggies exchanged hitless and scoreless innings with South Carolina through seven innings in the opening round of the SEC tournament before falling 1-0 in the eighth.
Texas A&M’s pitching staff was on point for the majority of the game only allowing three hits in eight innings of work. Shaylee Ackerman went through four innings allowing zero hits, three strikeouts, and zero runs. Emiley Kennedy was on the same path for the remainder of the game allowing three hits, five strikeouts, and one run. Unfortunately for Kennedy, the last hit and run would be all South Carolina needed for the victory.
Blankenship sunk and two Gamecocks are stranded 😅@2021Kennedy | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/xyyJBLFLOT
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) May 10, 2023
Through seven innings both teams could not find a way to break the stalemate until the top of the eighth inning. The first chink in the armor came in the form of hit batters. Kennedy traded hit by pitch and strikeouts through the first four batters putting two on base and two outs. South Carolina finally broke the scoreless with a single through the right side to go up 1-0 before play stopped due to a four-hour weather delay.
With an opportunity to extend the game, Texas A&M fought through some solid at bats placing the tying run on second base and the winning run on first base. Koko Wooley worked a seven pitch at bat to the best of her ability to eventually lose that battle with a game ending fly out.
Below are a few of Coach Ford’s comments after the game:
“That’s a tough one for us. I thought we had a good plan. I thought Shaylee did a great job pitching four innings. Kennedy came in and pitched well. Obviously got herself in some trouble with some hit batters that ended up a run after a base hit. It’s time to get ready for regionals now. My message to them before that last inning and I talked to them before the game was we’re not out of this until the last out. So obviously I’m very happy with that last inning. I think we could have done a better job of having that type of energy, approach and focus earlier on in the game.”
Final Score: Aggies 0, Gamecocks 1 – W: Gobourne, Donnie ; L: Kennedy, Emiley (11-5)
Final (8 inn.): Texas A&M 0, South Carolina 1
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) May 11, 2023
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1
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