The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
Aggies top Softball, 4-2
04.05.2006 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas -- After surrendering an early two-run lead, 17th-ranked Texas A&M posted single runs in the third and fourth innings to regain the lead and earned a 4-2 victory over top-ranked Texas in Big 12 softball action on Wednesday night at McCombs Field in front of 1,423 fans, the second largest crowd in UT history.
The Aggies (25-10, 5-1 Big 12) put up a pair of first-inning runs, only to see Texas (38-4, 5-1 Big 12) knot the score in the bottom of the second with a pair of two-out runs. However, Megan Gibson's RBI double in the third and Holly Ridley's home run in the fourth gave A&M another two-run lead, and Aggie starter Amanda Scarborough made it stick in the circle to lift the Aggies into a tie with the Horns atop the Big 12 standings.
Texas mustered two hits off Scarborough, ironically both coming from UT's two College Station products - freshmen Crystal Saenz and Kacie Gaskin. Scarborough (11-5) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
Meagan Denny (15-3) took the loss, lasting 3.0 innings while giving up four runs on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Cat Osterman entered in relief in the fourth to finish the game, allowing one hit with five strikeouts and one walk. Her fifth strikeout of the night was her 2,000th career K, as she became the first player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 strikeouts.
With the victory, Texas A&M earned one-half point in the 2005-06 State Farm Lone Star Showdown standings, boosting A&M's season total to 3.0 points. Texas still leads the overall total, 8.5 to 3.0.
In the first, Jamie Hinshaw drew a lead-off walk and then went to third on Gibson's single. After Scarborough drew a walk to load the bases, Hindsaw came home to score on a wild pitch, giving A&M an early 1-0 lead. Jamie Lobpries then pushed it to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Texas rebounded in the second to tie the score. Chez Sievers reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second. Rachael Cook struck out, but Scarborough pitched a wild pitch on strike three, allowing Cook to take first and Sievers to move to third. When Aggie catcher Patti Wunderlich collected the ball by the Aggies' on-deck circle to try to get Sievers out at home, her ball skipped off the dirt and allowed Sievers to score and Cook to move up another bag to second. Saenz then stepped in and singled in Cook, tying the score.
The tie was short-lived, however, as Gibson's RBI single in the third gave A&M the 3-2 lead, and Ridley's third home run of the year - a shot to straight-away center field - put the Aggies again up by two runs.
After Saenz's single, Scarborough retired the next 14 hitters until Gaskin came through with a pinch-hit single in the seventh. Jacqueline Williams then collected a full-count walk to put runners at first and second with one out, but the Aggies managed to get the last two outs without allowing the Horns to add any more runs.
The Longhorns return to action this weekend when they host Missouri for a two-game series at McCombs Field. The Horns and Tigers will square off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and then again at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
