The Texas A&M softball team swept Tarleton State behind a one-hit performance in game two by Payton McBride, Tuesday at Davis Diamond. The Aggies won game, 7-3, before taking game two, 8-0, in five innings.
The junior recorded one strikeout and didn’t allow a walk or run in 16 batters faced, while only throwing 49 pitches in five innings to earn her third win of the fall season.
Texas A&M took command early as Sarah Hudek singled to center and was plated on a Riley Sartain triple in the gap in right. Sartain later took advantage of a throwing error to touch home.
In the fourth, Sartain blasted a homer to center before Moreno recorded a double and was plated on a Baylee Klingler single through the right side to give the Aggies a 4-0 lead.
The Maroon & White put up a four spot in the fifth on four hits. Dani Elder led off the inning with an infield single and a Kylie George base hit to left allowed her to advance to second base. Meagan Smith’s single up the middle scored Blake-Ann Fritch, who pinch ran for Elder. After Kelbi Fortenberry took advantage of a fielding error by the shortstop to load the bases, George touched home on a fielder’s choice. A Hudek single to center plated Meagan Smith before an Abby Smith sacrifice fly scored Fortenberry to force the run rule.
In game one, Tarleton State took an early 1-0 lead on a home run by Karli Herron but the Aggies responded with a five-run first inning. Ashlynn Walls bunted for a hit and Kayla Poynter reached on a fielder’s choice, before Klinger blasted a homer over the center field wall to score both of them. McBride followed suit with a bomb of her own to plate Haley Lee, who earned a walk.
In the second, Morgan Smith started off the inning with a walk and touched home on a triple to center by Blake-Ann Fritsch. Fritsch scored on a Fortenberry RBI groundout to extend the Aggies’ lead to six.
The TexAnns scored a run in the third after Georgia Capell earned a walk and later scored on a fielder’s choice. In the fifth, Tarleton State took advantage of an error to reach base before plating a run on a sacrifice fly from Jessica Lee.
Kendall Potts earned the start for the Aggies, throwing one inning and allowing two hits, one run and one walk while striking out one. Poynter recorded a win to move to 2-0 in the Aggies’ fall campaign after allowing just six hits and two runs, one earned. The sophomore fanned three and allowed four walks in five innings pitched. Hannah Mayo threw the final inning of the game and didn’t allow a baserunner.
Four Aggies had multiple hits on the night, highlighted by Klingler, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
The Aggies conclude their fall campaign on Thursday with a doubleheader against McLennan College at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
