A four-run sixth inning was not enough for No. 1 Texas Softball.

The game that could have been a dominating win for the Aggies ended in a thriller separated by a single run and two assistant coach ejections, as the Longhorns fell 6-5 in Austin.

When Texas A&M led 6-0 at the top of the sixth inning, Texas assistant coach Steve Singleton and A&M’s Russ Heffley got heated in the diamond. Heffley walked into the diamond yelling after Texas first baseman Katie Stewart had her foot on the bag as Aggie third baseman Kennedy Powell tripped over Stewart’s shin and sent her tumbling. Singleton immediately went to confront him.

“Following the final out of the top of the sixth inning, Texas inquired about the contact ruled incidental at first base,” said Austin Super Regional Crew Chief Paul Edds. “An assistant coach from each team met the umpires at home plate. At the conclusion of the discussion, the umpires were trying to escort the coaches to return to their respective dugouts to continue the game when inappropriate comments were exchanged and both coaches were given a behavioral ejection.”

Texas A&M pitcher Emiley Kennedy was key for the Aggie victory and held the Longhorns to no runs until the sixth inning. At the bottom of the sixth, freshman pinch hitter Vic Hunter brought Texas back in the game with a grand slam, and in the seventh, catcher Reese Atwood got herself a solo homer.

“Yeah, the late-game success against Kennedy is definitely momentum going into tomorrow’s game,” Atwood said. “I think we now know that we can do it now. The first few innings were a struggle against Kennedy, she’s a great pitcher, so seeing the fight at the end shows what we are going to come in and do tomorrow.”

Texas must win the second game of the series to survive an early tournament elimination.

MCMINNVILLE Ore. (KPTV) – The top-seeded Linfield softball program did it again Friday in McMinnville as the Wildcats keep dancing in the Division III tournament.

You gotta win one to win two and these Wildcats did just that with emphasis: 11-0 in game two, 13-to-1, mercy rules in five innings, both times out.

Coach Jackson Vaughan’s club of Catballers is now 48-and-2, Super-Regional champs with a ticket for the Division III World Series in back-to-back years.

“Literally if we would have lost, we’d just be going home tomorrow, and the team just dissipates and now at least we get to end it on the road together and end it win or lose in Texas,” Vaughan said.

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Junior second baseman Brynn Nelson went 6-for-8 at the plate and bopped a pair of homers against the Central College Dutch from Iowa as the ‘Cats keep scratching for the ultimate prize together.

“Getting back there and pushing for all three of our seniors and give them another game and extend our season one more week was our why. It was my personal why and it was a lot of our whys to keep playing together and getting a second chance on where we think we can do better,” Nelson said. “I do wear a lot of pride wearing Linfield and I’m so proud to be part of this team.”

Myrtle Point’s Tayah Kelley came back from throwing 196 pitches in 11 innings on Thursday to allowing just four hits combined in both five innings affairs on Friday for the senior All-American’s final game at home.

“It’s kind of surreal just because I have been here so long and now, I know that I won’t be playing again on this field, but I couldn’t have left it any happier than I could today, so it was worth it all,” Kelley said.

Sunday is graduation and on Tuesday, Linfield boards the bird ahead of their first game in the double-elimination eight-team tourney where the mercury will hover around 90 to 100 degrees on the Texas turf.

“Just because you make it there doesn’t mean anything once you get there,” Kelley said. “So it’s kind of about keeping your skill levels up and staying in the moment because we worked so hard to get here so why not just enjoy it while we’re there and play our butts off?”

These Wildcats last won it all in 2007 and 2011 and now they’ll head down to Marshall, Texas next week in the Elite Eight to become No. 1 as they are also seeded No. 1 here in this Division III tournament at Del Smith Stadium in McMinnville.

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AUSTIN, Texas – This Week in Texas Politics involved a lot of digging in, indicating that it may be a very long and hot summer here in Texas.

FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and our panel of political analysts discuss.

RUDY KOSKI: Let’s get our headlines this week, and we’ll start first with Brad Johnson with the Texas News. Brad, what’s your headline?

BRAD JOHNSON: The GOP circular firing squad takes San Antonio.  

RUDY KOSKI: Annie Spilman with Main Street Relations. What’s your headline?  

ANNIE SPILMAN: Unlike other states, Texas lags behind in toll discounts.  

RUDY KOSKI: Political analyst Mark Wiggins: your headline for the week.  

MARK WIGGINS: The Convention of Chaos.

Texans concerned about economy, immigration: poll

RUDY KOSKI: Early voting in the primary runoffs wrapping up this week with all eyes focused on the race involving House Speaker Dade Phelan. Brad, a lot of money is being pumped into this one. Are you surprised?  

BRAD JOHNSON: I’ve heard that it’s possible we’ll see upwards of $12 million spent on both sides of it, including all, you know, outside groups.  

ANNIE SPILMAN: I mean, it was a good session for business groups. There was a lot of regulatory relief that happened under the leadership of Speaker Phelan. He got a big get-out-the-vote rally with former Governor Rick Perry, who was very business friendly. Still is.

RUDY KOSKI: Well, certainly that race is a big topic statewide and also a big topic at the Republican state convention that is underway this week. And, you know, there’s a lot of obsession over the House Speaker. It seems like that that’s the main topic, going on down there. And there’s nothing else. But there is a lot more. Right, Mark?  

MARK WIGGINS: Under the current leadership, you know, the RPT has lost staff. It’s lost funding. And quite frankly, it’s lost relevance. I mean, especially when it’s spending money attacking other Republicans. So if Republicans are going to continue to be successful in the state, especially in those down ballot races, they’re going to have to start growing the party instead of purging it.

MORE: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz files bill to protect IVF

RUDY KOSKI: The Texas Democrats have been throwing a lot of shade at the Texas Republicans in the convention. But, you know, they’re involved in their own meltdown, too. And so, while those parties are trying to figure out who they are, the Texas Lyceum poll came out this week with a poll and a survey saying Texans are more focused on the economy. And I know that business groups there really have been screaming a lot lately in regard to, it’s about the economy, it’s about the inflation. Do something.  

ANNIE SPILMAN: The poll really pointed to economic anxiety, and inflation has increased the cost of pretty much everything in the state of Texas. Anxiety and uncertainty can really cripple our local businesses and its impact on our community.  

RUDY KOSKI: Hard liners digging in, is just not a Republican thing. Six Texas Congressional Democrats voting on Capitol Hill against a House resolution to ban non-citizens from voting in DC elections. Greg Casar, Lloyd Doggett among those now on record supporting the idea. Non-citizens participating in a local election. Mark that may not hurt them with their base, but that isn’t really good for the overall party, right?  

MARK WIGGINS: Well, you just got to look back to that same Lyceum poll and many, many polls beforehand. Rudy, the border remains a top issue for Texans, and that doesn’t matter what party you’re in or how close you live to the Rio Grande. If I’m consulting Democrats, I’m going to tell them you need to have a strong position on that issue.

RUDY KOSKI: The Texas Lyceum poll also showed that Donald Trump has a ten-point lead here in Texas. So, Ted Cruz, while he was in state, Trump being in state last week, and he’s coming back next week, several Texas Republicans went up to New York for the last day of Trump’s hush money trial. Brad, is that just political coat tailing or is there a real strong purpose for that?  

BRAD JOHNSON: I think it’s more of them, you know, showing their support for the president. In the current situation, going forward, that will be returned again, I’m sure.  

MARK WIGGINS: You know, I think as more people start to think Trump may win this thing, you’re going to see more of them do what is required to get into his good graces. 

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RUDY KOSKI: As for the border battle, Gov. Greg Abbott on social media this week has been providing updates on the new base camp that’s being built along the Rio Grande and the border wall construction. Annie, is this, the governor just simply saying “Come and Take it?”

ANNIE SPILMAN: Well, I don’t know how many of you remember MTV Cribs, but this reminds me of one of those episodes with the governor welcoming the president virtually, into his view, aerial view, of the forward operating base in Eagle Pass. He’s definitely flaunting his Texas-built base camp and challenging the feds to come and take it.  

RUDY KOSKI: Well, Texas and the feds fighting: That’s certainly nothing new, but this week, Ken Paxton teamed up with the Biden administration DOJ and a lawsuit against LiveNation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. Brad, should we be checking the temperature and hell, what’s going on?  

BRAD JOHNSON: This Ken Paxton and Taylor Swift uniting together? I don’t know. You know, one thing that caught my eye with this, the release from the attorney general he was touting. It’s the 75th lawsuit against the Biden administration. That marketing just goes perfectly for him. And obviously, he’s taken advantage of it. That’s the big takeaway, I thought.  

MORE THIS WEEK IN TEXAS POLITICS

RUDY KOSKI: All right, let’s end it there. And we’re going to wrap up this week with one word. And we’ll start first with Mark. Mark, your word.  

MARK WIGGINS: Chaos.  

ANNIE SPILMAN: Graduation.  

BRAD JOHNSON: Circus.  

RUDY KOSKI: And with that, we’re wrapping up another Week in Texas Politics.