Perez homers twice, offense explodes as No. 5 Aggies sweep LMU
Game #36: No. 5 Texas A&M 12, Loyola Marymount 0
Records: Texas A&M (31-5, 6-3), LMU (14-20, 0-0)
WP: Emiley Kennedy (11-3)
LP: Jessica Hubbard (5-10)
Box Score
After a competitive and drawn-out conclusion to Saturday’s tussle, No. 5 Texas A&M softball was back to its run-rule ways with a dominant 12-0 win over Loyola Marymount in just five innings to sweep the non-conference series.
The Aggies’ offense took advantage of a crumbling Lions’ pitching staff, racking up 15 hits and three home runs while leaving meat on the bone with 10 runners left on base.
Mya Perez was the star of the show, adding two homers to bring her total up to 10 on the season.
“That’s Mya,” A&M head coach Trisha Ford said. “We just didn’t see that last year. She is that kid. She’s been that kid her whole life. She can mash.
“She got herself in really good shape for her. She came back, and she’s stronger. That kid lifts crazy. … She’s become a collegiate softball player.”
With three pitchers seeing action in Saturday’s 6-2 win, it was Friday’s arm back in the circle for the Aggies. Senior pitcher Emiley Kennedy, in her typical wire-to-wire fashion, struck out eight Loyola Marymount batters and only gave up two hits in the shutout win.
“Her timing was better,” Ford said. “That’s one thing that’s been a little off to her trunk arm timing. When she lands, and her arm is too low, she is trying to diversify her pitches, but she doesn't have enough length to manipulate the ball. … She was really good tonight.”
Following three strikeouts from Kennedy in the first inning, Amari Harper’s purple patch persisted with the first run of the game for A&M. With Harper and Perez on base, Mac Barbara fired a single to right field to score Harper and break the deadlock.
Once Koko Wooley loaded the bases with a single to center field, the Aggies smelled blood in the water. Allie Enright was walked, bringing Perez home. Then, Gracyn Coleman's dribbler allowed her to reach on a fielding error after being mishandled by the third baseman, scoring Wooley.
A&M got the home run party started after a quick 1-2-3 inning from Kennedy, with Harper and Perez launching the ball over the wall on back-to-back pitches.
“I’m going to dream about Amari’s swing on that pitch,” Ford said. “It was really pretty. It was on time, squared up.”
The ball kept rolling for the Aggies’ offense in the third inning.
A Coleman double to right center brought freshman KK Dement home. Harper latched on to another pitch with a single to left field to bring Kramer Eschete in. With the bases loaded once more, Wooley was walked, advancing Harper to home plate.
As bubbles filled the Davis Diamond air, the fourth inning was merely a coronation ceremony for the Maroon & White as the lead began to balloon.
Larisa Perez slammed a single up the middle to bring Dement around the bases right before Harper doubled and brought her home. Perez put the exclamation point on the victory with a bomb over the right field wall to make it 12-0.
“We know if they are going to get tight, they are probably going to throw a ball,” Harper said. “When they are thinking they got to get one on them, that cookie is coming for our next batter. It instills confidence up and down the lineup.”
A&M will return to the diamond against Prairie View on Wednesday, April 2, before a trip to Athens to take on No. 17 Georgia in a weekend series.
