No. 5 Aggies add teal accents in 6-2 victory over Loyola Marymount

Game #35: No. 5 Texas A&M 6, Loyola Marymount 2
Records: Texas A&M (30-5, 6-3), LMU (14-19, 0-0)
WP: Kate Munnerlyn (1-0)
LP: Lindsay O’Dell (7-10)
Box Score

No. 5 Texas A&M softball looked a little bit different in its 6-2 victory over Loyola Marymount on Saturday at Davis Diamond.

The Aggies wore teal socks and accents as part of the Southeastern Conference’s “All for Alex Campaign,” which honors Alex Wilcox’s impact on the softball community and the fight against ovarian cancer. Wilcox was a freshman on the 2018 Mississippi State softball team whose fight with ovarian cancer tragically took her life in the summer of 2018.

“It’s a great day that unites not only the SEC but teams across the nation,” A&M head coach Trisha Ford said. “What a great message it is of just bringing awareness, bringing us all together. There was a common bond in making sure we are doing what we need to do in order to survive this game of life.”

The Maroon & White (and teal) didn’t wait long to get the party started, with junior third baseman Kennedy Powell walking in A&M’s first at-bat of the game. Powell then advanced to second after a junior right fielder Amari Harper ground out. Sophomore first baseman Mya Perez lasered a single into left center field, launching Powell around the bases.

Graduate Mac Barbara got on base with a hard-hit single to second base, putting two on for the Aggies. Senior shortstop Koko Wooley doubled the A&M advantage with an RBI to bring Perez home to make it 2-0.

After freshman right-handed pitcher Sydney Lessentine stranded two Lions in the second inning, the Aggies pounced on the opportunity to build on their lead. A&M took turns latching onto freshman RHP Lindsay O’Dell’s pitches, starting with senior left fielder Kramer Eschete’s double to left field.

Up next was Powell, who brought Eschete home with a single through the right side. Harper, in the hitting form of her life, smoked a home run to right center, launching the bubbles in the air and making it 5-0 for the Aggies.

Lessentine’s inexperience began to show in the third inning, where the freshman gave up three doubles and a single to get the Lions on the board, 5-2.

Freshman second baseman KK Dement added an insurance run to the A&M total by fouling out to right field, which allowed Wooley to sprint home.

In the fourth inning, Ford elected to send a new pitcher into the circle: freshman left-handed pitcher Kate Munnerlyn. For Munnerlyn, this game was a little extra special.

“It meant a lot,” Munnerlyn said. “My mom has battled cancer twice. Not ovarian, but cancer in general. It’s a very serious thing.”

With her heart on her sleeve, Munnerlyn tossed three straight scoreless innings to leave the Lions cowering.

“My mentality is dominate,” Munnerlyn said. “Get in there, hit spots. Whatever ball they hit that goes into play, I’m trusting my defense to back me up on it.”

The offense dried up for the Aggies after the third. With Loyola Marymount in desperation territory heading into the seventh, Ford entrusted senior RHP Emily Leavitt to finish the game.

The Lions gave the 12th Man a scare with two singles courtesy of freshman SS Analiah Lummus and sophomore outfielder Kealani Caster. With two outs and two on, senior designated player Mika Chong was in the box to be the hero.

Her bat lashed across Leavitt’s pitch and exploded into right field, but freshman right fielder Frankie Vrazel cooly lifted her gloved hand to snag the ball and snap Loyola Marymount’s hopes of hijacking the Davis magic.

“It’s putting teams away. It’s taking advantage of miscues. It’s executing pitches,” Ford said. “All of those things, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing the SEC or LMU or North Texas, all of them have competed at a very high level against some really good teams. … It’s going to be up to you whether you are on that pitch.”

The Aggies will seek the series sweep against the Lions on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.