Softball: Late inning heroics push A&M past Baylor in NCAA Tourney

GAME #56: Texas A&M 6, Baylor 5
RECORDS: Texas A&M 41-15 (2-0 NCAA Tournament); Baylor 40-16 (1-1 NCAA Tournament)
WP: Mel Dumezich (27-7)
LP: Whitney Canion (24-9)
S: None
BOX SCORE: LINK

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College Station - In 2011 when Texas A&M looked to exit the Big 12 conference for the greener pastures of the SEC, Baylor University and president Kenneth Starr attempted to spoil the Aggies plan and force them to remain conference mates.

On Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Softball Complex, Baylor once again looked to ruin the Aggies’ fun.

But just like during conference realignment, A&M overcame the pesky Bears and found a way to accomplish their task, this time in the form of a 6-5, come from behind walk-off victory over the team from Waco in game three of the College Station regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

With the victory, A&M advances to the final day of play and would have to lose twice on Sunday to keep from sealing their spot in the super regional round.

“I’m really excited about our ball club right now,” said A&M head coach Jo Evans. “We didn’t play our best game, but our club didn’t quit. Our kids believed that we could do this and kept fighting.”

After three scoreless innings of play, the Bears struck first in the top of the fourth when catcher Clare Hosack hit a grand slam to left to make the score 4-0 Baylor. Two infield singles and a walk by A&M starter Mel Dumezich set the table for Hosack’s blast.

Baylor tacked on another run in the top of the fifth when first baseman Holly Holl came across the plate off an infield single from left fielder Linsey Hays.

At that point, things looked bleak for the Aggies but A&M’s never-say-die attitude was soon to prevail.

“I don’t believe in [quitting],” said Evans. “You have to instill optimism and belief in your players, and they instill it within each other. The fact that they believe in each other gives them a chance to believe they can score six runs in the last two innings.”

A&M began their climb back into the game in the bottom of the sixth when Dumezich launched a two-run homer over the wall in the deepest part of center field to close the gap to 5-2. Junior Cassie Tysarczyk was on first after grounding into a fielder's choice one batter earlier.

Down to their final two outs and still trailing by three, a pair of singles by center fielder Emily Albus and third baseman Amber Garza started a final-inning rally that will be remembered in Aggieland for quite a while.

With two on base, freshman Cali Lanphear came to the plate as the tying run. She then showed why she was recently named to the All-SEC freshman team with a clutch three-run shot over the right field wall, tying the game for the first time since the top of the fourth inning.

“I knew it was high and I was hoping it would reach over,” said Lanphear. “We had a bad taste in our mouth from the Alabama game [in the SEC Tournament]. We weren’t going to let that happen again.”

Not to be upstaged by the freshman’s team-leading 19th homerun of the season, first baseman Nicole Morgan provided the final swing of the game in the next at-bat when she took a change-up from Baylor ace Whitney Canion deep over the wall in left to win the game for the Aggies.

“She threw me a change-up in my first at-bat, and I whiffed,” stated Morgan. “I ran back to the dugout saying, ‘I’m going to get it next time.’ She gave it to me again and I sat on it. It was high, but it went out.”

The victory puts A&M in the driver’s seat of the regional, but their work is not done yet. A win in Sunday’s 2:30 contest would give the Aggies the regional title and move them one step closer to a possible 12th WCWS appearance.

“I really want our kids to take a deep breath [before tomorrow],” concluded Evans. “The biggest thing I said to them was to keep your foot on the accelerator. Keep your foot on the gas and push. Tomorrow, we need to be the aggressor and never get on our heels.”