By RYAN POSNER
It would be hard for the Texas A&M softball team to enjoy a better beginning to its fall exhibition schedule.
The Aggies grabbed a 3-2 victory over the National Pro Fastpitch League’s USSA Pride on Tuesday night to start a doubleheader at the Aggie Softball Complex. A&M scored early against a team littered with former All-Americans, handing the Pride its first loss of its fall tour. The teams then battled to a 0-0 tie in Game 2.
The Pride, which has won three straight NPF regular-season championships and three total national championships, was coming off a victory over Oklahoma, the reigning NCAA national champion. The closest it had come to a loss on its seven-game fall tour against collegiate teams was a tie with LSU on Oct. 16.
“Our kids played with a lot of presence, a lot of poise,” A&M head coach Jo Evans said. “We were mature about the way we played the game and expected to win, and we did. Then we played them right down to the wire in that second game.”
Pitching ruled the night for the Aggies. Junior right-hander Samantha Show held the Pride to just two runs and one hit over six innings in Game 1, and junior right-hander Lexi Smith threw the first four innings of a combined shutout in Game 2.
“I really don’t feel like we could’ve asked for better starts out of our pitchers,” Evans said.
Show also opened the scoring in Game 1 with a solo shot in the third off former Florida All-American Hannah Rogers. Junior center fielder Erica Russell followed two batters later with a solo shot of her own.
“It was pretty surreal,” Show said. “I watched Hannah Rogers growing up and never thought I’d get a chance to hit off her. Then I hit the home run, and that was just a cherry on top.”
But the lead was quickly erased as former Oklahoma slugger and NCAA all-time home run leader Lauren Chamberlain lined a two-run homer off Show in the fourth.
“I told [Show] she just joined a very long list of pitchers who’ve given up a home run to Chamberlain,” Evans said.
Both teams traded zeroes until a couple of Pride errors allowed the go-ahead run to score in the sixth.
A&M sophomore Kaitlyn Alderink reached on a throwing error by Pride second Cheyenne Cordes with one out. Alderink stole second as junior Tori Vidales walked, but Pride catcher Lauren Sweet still attempted a throw to second and inadvertently hit Vidales’ helmet. The ball trickled away down the first-base line, and Alderink advanced to third. Junior Ashley Walters drove in Alderink with a single.
Junior right-hander Trinity Harrington then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to pick up the save.
Smith, who transferred from Temple College, picked up in Game 2 right where Show left off. Smith worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first and set the theme of her night as she stranded eight runners in her four innings of work.
“It was a little interesting in the first inning,” Smith said. “The defense made a ton of plays behind me, and I was able to calm my nerves a little.”
The Aggies loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Show grounded out to second to make the final 0-0.
Next up on the Aggies’ fall slate is a doubleheader against Blinn at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Aggie Softball Complex.
