Texas A&M's season ends in Norman with thrashing from #1 Oklahoma

Texas A&M (31-28) softball fell to the #1 Oklahoma Sooners (52-2) in their second matchup in the Norman Regional on Sunday afternoon, 20-0. The loss ended the Aggies’ run in the postseason.

“Obviously, this was not the way we wanted to end our season. We came out in the first inning with jitters and had opportunities to get outs. We’ve been so good at getting outs when opponents have given them to us, and we just didn’t do that,” Texas A&M head coach Jo Evans said. “When you get off on a bad note like that, it’s really hard to recover.”

The Aggies struggled defensively in the first inning as the Sooners put up nine runs on five hits, capitalizing on multiple errors to immediately secure the lead. Texas A&M never matched the offensive energy on the field.

Trailing 9-0, freshman pitcher Emiley Kennedy stepped in as relief in the top of the second, throwing a strikeout and allowing just one run to halt the Sooners’ progress. However, Oklahoma surged ahead in the third, racking up four more runs off a single and a homer to bring the total to 14-0.

Makinzy Herzog sought to change the game’s direction with a single at the bottom of the third, advancing to second on a play, but another strikeout ended the inning and left her stranded.

Senior pitcher Kayla Poynter sat two Sooners down in the fourth inning, stopping Oklahoma’s momentum. Morgan Smith followed up with a single in the fourth, but the combination was not enough to bring the Aggies into the game.

An Oklahoma pitching change at the bottom of the fifth allowed a walk for Rylen Wiggins. Star Ferguson also reached base in the inning, but a strikeout ended the game in a run-rule.

“It was a great opportunity for our ball club to play in front of a crowd like this,” Evans said. “We have so many young players. We’re returning every single player but Kayla Poynter. That’s a lot of players to get that experience and see what that feels like, so next time they can be more relaxed.”

This loss ends Texas A&M’s time in the NCAA tournament as well as the team’s 2022 season.

Evans’ contract is set to expire, and a decision regarding her future has not yet been announced.