No. 3 A&M holds off No. 6 LSU to win fourth straight SEC series
Game #41: No. 3 Texas A&M 9, No. 6 LSU 7
Records: Texas A&M (37-5, 10-3), LSU (35-7, 8-5)
WP: Emiley Kennedy (14-3)
LP: Jayden Heavener (11-3)
Box Score
Emiley Kennedy to the rescue.
With a barrage of pitching changes allowing No. 6 LSU to hang around, No. 3 Texas A&M softball needed its star southpaw to take over in the circle and end the Tigers’ chances in a series-clinching 9-7 victory.
Saturday’s affairs opened with new A&M basketball coach Bucky McMillan throwing out the first pitch, a day after A&M football coach Mike Elko sat right behind Davis Diamond’s home plate.
“How many football coaches are coming to our game?” coach Trisha Ford said. “ … (Elko) stayed the whole seven innings, which I think says a lot about who he is as a person. Obviously, Bucky, it was great to see him… I think we have a really special group here.”
With freshman righty Sydney Lessentine quickly sending the Tigers lineup back to the dugout, A&M’s offense had the chance to light up the scoreboard first.
And light it up, they did.
Although Friday night was characterized by home runs and extra-base hits, the Aggies patiently worked the pitch count. Kennedy Powell was hit by a pitch in the first at-bat of the game and stole second to kickstart the offense.
LSU pitcher Jayden Heavener proceeded to walk five of the next six batters she faced, gifting A&M the 3-0 advantage. Kramer Eschete stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded.
After briefly being pulled in Friday’s contest for what Ford called an “offensive decision,” Eschete slammed a base-clearing double to left field, netting three more runs for the Aggies. Powell finished Eschete’s trek around the bags with a single to score the Brenham native and make it 7-0 after one.
‘Kramer just keeps working hard,” Ford said. “I’m just proud of her. That kid has been frustrated, and she wants to offensively do a little bit more production, but she keeps working.”
The third was LSU’s turn to get the offense humming, with Avery Hodge reaching on a throwing error from Lessentine. After a single from a bunt on the next at-bat, Ford turned to junior RHP Grace Sparks.
The righty gave up a walk, an RBI single and a grand slam on back-to-back-to-back at-bats, pushing the score to 7-5 and Ford into a pitching change. Freshman Kate Munnerlyn retired the next two batters to limit the damage.
With Munnerlyn holding the Tigers scoreless again in the top of the fourth, graduate designated player Mac Barbara powered junior second baseman Amari Harper home with a single to left field.
With Lessentine returning to the circle in the fifth and quickly putting a runner on base with a wild pitch and surrendering a run on a passed ball, Ford decided to bring in her star, Kennedy, in relief. A sac fly from Savanna Bedell put the Tigers within one before Kennedy could end the inning.
“I think I can beat almost anyone in any situation,” Kennedy said. “No matter bases loaded, 3-0 count back in the day when Coach Ford put me in. I think I’ve faced every situation. Nothing is new to me.”
Kennedy held firm again in the sixth, holding the Tigers’ advantage and maintaining the Aggies’ one-run advantage. In the bottom of the inning, Barbara knocked a grounder to second place that, in LSU attempting to turn the double play, gave Powell just enough time to slide home from second to give A&M a two-run cushion.
“It was a slow-developing play because it was a chopper,” Powell said. “I knew once the shortstop went back to throw to first to try to get Mac, I was not going to stop running.”
With one of the nation’s premier sluggers, redshirt freshman Tori Edwards, up to lead off in the final frame, the Aggies needed Kennedy to save them. The Woodlands product did just that, firing a third strike past Edwards and retiring the next two batters to clinch the series.
“Super proud of Lefty,” Ford said. “That was fun to watch.”
The Aggies will look for the sweep on Sunday, April 13, at 1 p.m., returning the favor from a year ago when the Tigers pulled off the same feat.