AggieJohn
05-05-2005, 09:04 AM
The seniors on Texas A&M’s softball team were honored at Wednesday’s regular-season finale, and their freshman teammates made sure it was a happy occasion.
A crowd of 1,434 at the Aggie Softball Field enjoyed three feats.
Head coach Jo Evans and the Aggies were presented the Big 12 Conference trophy before the game for winning the school’s first league title.
A&M then polished off rival Baylor by scoring four runs in the first and cruising to a 7-1 victory.
“I really wanted us to play well, and feel good about ourselves,” Evans said. “I wanted us to be a aggressive, and get good pitching. And we did that.”
Most of the fans stayed as Evans ended the festivities by bragging on seniors Adrian Gregory, Morgan Hebert, Jana James and Nicole Robinson.
They have been instrumental in A&M’s rise to first in the Big 12. The Aggies won nine league games when they were freshmen, 10 as sophomores, 13 last year, and a school-record 14 this season.
The quartet was busy Wednesday as the fourth-ranked Aggies (43-6, 14-4) make quick work of the seventh-ranked Lady Bears (45-10, 11-7).
Gregory had six assists and three putouts with a stellar game at shortstop. Catcher Hebert, a converted third baseman, made her 49th start of the season behind the plate. Left fielder James was 2 for 4, and Robinson, last year’s catcher who had off-season surgery, called the pitches.
The four freshmen who started did their best to make the seniors proud.
They accounted for seven of the team’s 10 hits and pitcher Amanda Scarborough, 26-1, allowed the Aggies to sweep Baylor in the regular season for the first time since 1996, which was the first season of Big 12 play.
A&M was coming off back-to-back losses at Missouri, both times the Aggies lost late leads.
“I just think we were kinda tired,” said freshman Megan Gibson, who was 3 for 4 with three runs batted in. “We were a lot more focused and determined [for this game].”
The Lady Bears had plenty to play for. A win would have allowed them to finish as the conference’s third seed for next week’s Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, but Bear starter Lisa Ferguson, 17-4, couldn’t make it out of the first inning.
Infield singles by Jamie Hinshaw, James and Gibson made it 1-0. Back-to-back bases loaded walks to Rocky Spencer and Gregory made it 3-0. Ferguson was pulled with a 2-0 count to Joy Davis, who also walked.
Baylor had a chance to make it interesting in the second. Singles by Melissa Huffhines and Kelly Osburn were sandwiched by an Aggie error.
But Scarborough struck out Baylor’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters on six straight pitches.
“I thought her change-up looked really good,” Evans said. “She really challenged hitters.”
Baylor scored on back-to-back doubles by Lynam and Kim Wilmoth in the fourth, but A&M answered thanks to Baylor errors.
Gibson’s ringing two-run double in the fourth ended the scoring.
“We were ready to hit the ball,” Gibson said. “We were ready to come out and play and make everybody know that we are Big 12 champs.”
A&M’s first game in the Big 12 Tournament will be against the winner of the play-in game. That will be Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State or Texas Tech.
http://www.aggiesports.com/softball/photos/050505buwin.jpg
A crowd of 1,434 at the Aggie Softball Field enjoyed three feats.
Head coach Jo Evans and the Aggies were presented the Big 12 Conference trophy before the game for winning the school’s first league title.
A&M then polished off rival Baylor by scoring four runs in the first and cruising to a 7-1 victory.
“I really wanted us to play well, and feel good about ourselves,” Evans said. “I wanted us to be a aggressive, and get good pitching. And we did that.”
Most of the fans stayed as Evans ended the festivities by bragging on seniors Adrian Gregory, Morgan Hebert, Jana James and Nicole Robinson.
They have been instrumental in A&M’s rise to first in the Big 12. The Aggies won nine league games when they were freshmen, 10 as sophomores, 13 last year, and a school-record 14 this season.
The quartet was busy Wednesday as the fourth-ranked Aggies (43-6, 14-4) make quick work of the seventh-ranked Lady Bears (45-10, 11-7).
Gregory had six assists and three putouts with a stellar game at shortstop. Catcher Hebert, a converted third baseman, made her 49th start of the season behind the plate. Left fielder James was 2 for 4, and Robinson, last year’s catcher who had off-season surgery, called the pitches.
The four freshmen who started did their best to make the seniors proud.
They accounted for seven of the team’s 10 hits and pitcher Amanda Scarborough, 26-1, allowed the Aggies to sweep Baylor in the regular season for the first time since 1996, which was the first season of Big 12 play.
A&M was coming off back-to-back losses at Missouri, both times the Aggies lost late leads.
“I just think we were kinda tired,” said freshman Megan Gibson, who was 3 for 4 with three runs batted in. “We were a lot more focused and determined [for this game].”
The Lady Bears had plenty to play for. A win would have allowed them to finish as the conference’s third seed for next week’s Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, but Bear starter Lisa Ferguson, 17-4, couldn’t make it out of the first inning.
Infield singles by Jamie Hinshaw, James and Gibson made it 1-0. Back-to-back bases loaded walks to Rocky Spencer and Gregory made it 3-0. Ferguson was pulled with a 2-0 count to Joy Davis, who also walked.
Baylor had a chance to make it interesting in the second. Singles by Melissa Huffhines and Kelly Osburn were sandwiched by an Aggie error.
But Scarborough struck out Baylor’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters on six straight pitches.
“I thought her change-up looked really good,” Evans said. “She really challenged hitters.”
Baylor scored on back-to-back doubles by Lynam and Kim Wilmoth in the fourth, but A&M answered thanks to Baylor errors.
Gibson’s ringing two-run double in the fourth ended the scoring.
“We were ready to hit the ball,” Gibson said. “We were ready to come out and play and make everybody know that we are Big 12 champs.”
A&M’s first game in the Big 12 Tournament will be against the winner of the play-in game. That will be Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State or Texas Tech.
http://www.aggiesports.com/softball/photos/050505buwin.jpg