The second-seeded Aggies cruised to a 14-2 win over Texas in an SEC Tournament semifinal at Jack Turner Stadium. This victory lifted Texas A&M into its first conference title game since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012.
Key Highlights
- Ashton Maloney, a fourth-year outfielder, had three of the Longhorns’ five hits, but it was not enough to overcome the dominant performance by the Aggies.
- Maloney stated, "I think what’s important right now is to understand our season is not over. Postseason starts next; we have a new season starting. None of what happened this weekend, none of what happened the entire season matters. Starting on Sunday during the selection show, it’s a new season."
- The loss marked Texas’ worst since a 16-1 setback against Oklahoma in the Women’s College World Series last year.
Coach Trisha Ford’s Perspective
Aggie coach Trisha Ford aims to harness the positive momentum as they prepare for Saturday’s championship match against top-ranked Oklahoma. She emphasized:
- "It’s one game and every aspect counts for us as we face our toughest opponent yet."
- Ford has been impressed with her team’s ability to stay focused and composed under pressure throughout the tournament. "We’ve done some great things here this week," she said. "We’ve played some really good softball and I’m proud of our team."
- She praised her team’s resilience: "I think that says something about who we are as a group. We’re resilient, we’re tough-minded, and we’re going to be ready for whatever comes next."
Game Performance
- Ashton Maloney had three hits for Texas (33-22), including two doubles off reliever Emily Bostic (4-0). She scored twice before being replaced by freshman pinch hitter Kaitlyn Washington after striking out in the fifth inning.
- Bostic allowed just one run through five innings before giving up four runs without recording an out when she entered the game down by six runs behind starter Sydney Sims’ seven-inning effort.
- Sims pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out eight batters. She also contributed at bat with an RBI single that gave the Aggies their first lead early in the game.
Scoring Summary
- Third Inning:
- Sims led off with a double off Longhorns starter Jordan Copeland (9-6).
- She advanced home via a wild pitch from Copeland later that inning when senior shortstop Katie Reed hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to center field, scoring Sims and putting the Aggies up 1-0.
Player Statistics
- This marked Sims’ fourth multi-hit game this postseason, hitting .500 or better during each round so far, including a .571 mark during the regional round, which included a home run against Baylor University last week.
- She finished Friday night hitting .429 overall through postseason play, alongside teammates:
- Ashley Armstrong: .400
- Maddie Penta: .375
- Taylor Washington: .333
- All players combined have hit above the .300 mark during postseason play, except for sophomore outfielder Hannah Harrod, who has a batting average of .250 despite multiple multi-hit games.
- Penta has driven home the most RBIs among teammates, tallying nine total RBIs, followed by Armstrong with eight, Sims with seven, and Washington with six.
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