HUNTSVILLE —
The Bearkats were hoping to make a statement Wednesday in their first home game against the 11th-ranked Aggies of Texas A&M.
At the end of the evening, the Bearkats did not have a lot to say. Texas A&M run-ruled Sam Houston 8-0 in six innings to improve to 5-0 for the year.
Coming into this matchup, the Aggies had outscored their opponents 33-7 and have now scored 41 runs for the year.
“We came out here ready to play and gave it our all,” said Sam Houston starting pitcher Shelbi Lancaster. “Sometimes you face good teams and they win.”
Aggies starting pitcher Mel Dumezich kept the Bearkats’ bats silent with a mixture of riseballs, screwballs and fastballs. Dumezich had a perfect game going for three innings with six strikeouts before Kim Damian broke up her bid in the bottom of the fourth inning. Damian hit a flare to left field that landed in front of Brittany Clopton for one of SHSU’s two hits.
Tori Benavidez collected the Kats’ other hit.
Dumezich finished with 10 strikeouts in only five innings of work and got her fourth win.
“That was one of the best games she’s pitched against us,” Bearkats coach Bob Brock said. “It’s not like we don’t know her. We’ve been playing against her for four years and I think this looks like her best year.”
In addition to their pitching, the Aggies showed why their offense is one of the best in the country. After being held scoreless in the top of the first inning, A&M scored in every inning from the second on.
The Aggies got on the board in the top of the second when Clopton ripped a single past a diving Alyssa Coggins that scored Cassie Tysarczyk from third.
Tysarczyk started the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Amber Garza.
In the top of the third, catcher Megan May blasted a solo shot over the left-field fence that made it 2-0.
The Aggies scored two more runs in the top of the third on a two-run single by center fielder Emily Albus to make it 4-0.
First baseman Nicole Morgan finished off the Kats with a solo home run in the fifth and a three-run blast in the sixth inning that made it 8-0. The home runs were Morgan’s fifth and sixth of the young season.
“They’re a good hitting team,” Lancaster said. “There’s nothing we could really do about that.”
Though this was a tough loss for the Kats, Brock believes his team can only get better from playing powerhouse teams like Texas A&M. Wednesday’s game against the Aggies, Brock said, will prepare the Bearkats for the Southern Mississippi tournament that will be held from this weekend in Hattiesburg, Miss.
“I think in our own little way, we became a little bit more elevated, a little bit more ready to go,” Brock said. “I think we will compete pretty well against the teams that are there this weekend.”
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Related Photos
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Sam Houston State pitcher Shelby Lancaster got roughed up by the 11th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday. Lancaster gave up five runs and eight hits in four innings of work. The Aggies blanked the Bearkats 8-0. Tom Waddill
Discussion
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