Spring Break
Softball out of Big 12, looking to NCAA
By: T.D. Durham
Issue date: 5/11/09 Section: Sports
The Texas A&M softball team dropped its first round game in the Big 12 Conference tournament Saturday to Baylor in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The No. 3-seeded Lady Bears defeated the Aggies for the first time of the 2009 season, after dropping two regular season matches to A&M.
Freshman pitcher Rebecca Arbino, coming off of a pair of road victories against Texas and Baylor, got her third consecutive start on the mound for the Aggies.
The Lady Bears jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning off a single from Baylor junior Courtney Oberg.
The Aggies led off the third inning with a double from sophomore Kelsey Spittler and took a two-run lead by putting up a three-spot in the frame after a throwing error on Baylor scored three Aggie runners.
Arbino then held the Lady Bears to back-to-back scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth before Baylor struck again in the fifth.
A two-out double from Lady Bear senior Alex Colyer to left field scored two and a rundown scored a third Baylor run as the team regained its lead 4-3. Colyer was 3-4 in the game with a double, two RBIs and a stolen base.
"We just didn't execute defensively today, and we can do better than that," A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said. "The great thing about the mistakes we made today is that we're not going to make them again, they were uncharacteristic of us."
Despite a leadoff home run from A&M junior Alex Reynolds in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game, the Aggies dropped its first round playoff bout in the bottom of the inning when sophomore Lady Bear Meagan Weldon singled in the winning run.
"Alex did a great job and wants to be up there in a clutch situation," Evans said. "It was great to see her drive the ball like that."
Freshman Baylor pitcher Whitney Canion, who received the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year for her efforts in 2009, had eight strikeouts in the first post season win of her career.
Sophomore second baseman Natalie Villarreal became the first sophomore in Big 12 history and the first Aggie to receive the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
A&M will compete next in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament against the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks from Bethlehem, Pa.
The Mountain Hawks and the Aggies, who have never met on the field before, will play in a double-elimination round.
If A&M defeats the Mountain Hawks, it will advance to the second round, the Super Regionals.
In the Super Regionals, the Aggies would face the winner of Florida A&M and Florida. Texas A&M played against Florida in the 2008 NCAA tournament, defeating the Gators to advance to the NCAA championship game.
The Aggies have competed in the NCAA postseason for seven consecutive seasons, dating back to 2002, and reached the Division I World Series in 2007 and 2008.
Scouting the opponent
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks finished its regular season in first place in its conferece, the Patriot League, and won first place in the Patriot League Championship tournament.
The No. 3-seeded Lady Bears defeated the Aggies for the first time of the 2009 season, after dropping two regular season matches to A&M.
Freshman pitcher Rebecca Arbino, coming off of a pair of road victories against Texas and Baylor, got her third consecutive start on the mound for the Aggies.
The Lady Bears jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning off a single from Baylor junior Courtney Oberg.
The Aggies led off the third inning with a double from sophomore Kelsey Spittler and took a two-run lead by putting up a three-spot in the frame after a throwing error on Baylor scored three Aggie runners.
Arbino then held the Lady Bears to back-to-back scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth before Baylor struck again in the fifth.
A two-out double from Lady Bear senior Alex Colyer to left field scored two and a rundown scored a third Baylor run as the team regained its lead 4-3. Colyer was 3-4 in the game with a double, two RBIs and a stolen base.
"We just didn't execute defensively today, and we can do better than that," A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said. "The great thing about the mistakes we made today is that we're not going to make them again, they were uncharacteristic of us."
Despite a leadoff home run from A&M junior Alex Reynolds in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game, the Aggies dropped its first round playoff bout in the bottom of the inning when sophomore Lady Bear Meagan Weldon singled in the winning run.
"Alex did a great job and wants to be up there in a clutch situation," Evans said. "It was great to see her drive the ball like that."
Freshman Baylor pitcher Whitney Canion, who received the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year for her efforts in 2009, had eight strikeouts in the first post season win of her career.
Sophomore second baseman Natalie Villarreal became the first sophomore in Big 12 history and the first Aggie to receive the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
A&M will compete next in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament against the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks from Bethlehem, Pa.
The Mountain Hawks and the Aggies, who have never met on the field before, will play in a double-elimination round.
If A&M defeats the Mountain Hawks, it will advance to the second round, the Super Regionals.
In the Super Regionals, the Aggies would face the winner of Florida A&M and Florida. Texas A&M played against Florida in the 2008 NCAA tournament, defeating the Gators to advance to the NCAA championship game.
The Aggies have competed in the NCAA postseason for seven consecutive seasons, dating back to 2002, and reached the Division I World Series in 2007 and 2008.
Scouting the opponent
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks finished its regular season in first place in its conferece, the Patriot League, and won first place in the Patriot League Championship tournament.
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