No. 24 A&M's SEC slide continues as Ole Miss walks-off series opener
After a midweek run-rule victory in the non-conference, No. 24 Texas A&M softball dropped its first matchup of their weekend series against Ole Miss on Friday, 8-5, as the Rebels prevailed in walk-off fashion.
The ladies in Maroon & White struggled in the circle and were unable to stop the Rebels’ red-hot offense despite the several pitching changes throughout the game.
Early on, the Aggies were unable to produce behind the plate and on the field, which was very similar to last weekend when A&M was swept at South Carolina.
Ole Miss did not share the Aggies’ struggles, though.
In the top of the second inning, starting pitcher Shaylee Ackerman gave up a solo home run to Mikayla Allee to put the Rebels on the board.
Ackerman was unable to regain her mojo and was relieved in the circle by Emiley Kennedy after walking Jalia Lassiter and giving up a single to Lexie Brady with just one out in the second.
The Aggies responded in the top of the third inning on Morgan Smith’s bases-loaded walk that scored Amari Harper.
However, Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the inning.
Kennedy gave up a double to Keila Kamoku which then turned into a run thanks to a single by Lassiter and a Kennedy throwing error. Immediately following the disastrous play, Brady plated Lassiter to make it 3-1.
Ole Miss added another in the fourth after back-to-back Koko Wooley errors yielded an unearned run.
The Aggies were held in check until the top of the fifth inning.
Julia Cottrill led off with a double to right field and scored on Smith’s RBI single. A&M got another base runner when Rylen Wiggins earned her third hit of the night with a single to center field.
Allie Enright then stepped up to the plate and catapulted the Aggies into the lead with a three-run homer to right field.
The lead was short-lived as the seesaw affair continued in the bottom half as Ole Miss evened the score at 5-5.
With the contest still deadlocked in the bottom of the seventh, Aynslie Furbush called the game with a three-run blast of her own to left-center off Emily Leavitt.
The Aggies will return tomorrow to take on Ole Miss for the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.