TEXARKANA, Texas — Nationally ranked No. 13 Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s softball team set a record with its 28th victory of the season, the most in school history, in a 5-0 shutout of Louisiana State University-Alexandria in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Bramlett Field.
“It is really exciting for the team,” Eagles head coach Marie Stone said. “We try to build our tradition each year and I think this speaks for this group of young women in how well they have worked together.”
Anna Westberry pitched a complete game shutout for TAMU-T as she gave up just 3 hits over 7 innings of work, struck out 4 and did not issue a walk. Mackenzie Vittitow took a hard-luck loss in Game 1 as the Eagles generated just 1 run, losing 2-1.
“Vittitow pitched well enough in Game 1 to win, we just didn’t get the job done at the plate for her,” Stone said. “Westberry came in, did her job in the circle and we got our bats going; we helped her out.”
TAMU-T (28-8, 12-4) plays Xavier University of Louisiana today at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader at Bramlett Field.
Game 2
Eagles 5, Generals 0
TAMU-T clinched its historic win when Westberry got the final out of the game on a strikeout.
Erika Richardson singled up the middle with no outs in the second and scored on Patti Swimley’s sacrifice RBI fly to right field to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Katelyn Slamer walloped a triple off the right-field wall and scored when Baylee Stautzenberger slapped a double to left center. Macie Reeves hit an RBI infield single to score Stautzenberger and give TAMU-T a 3-0 advantage in the third.
Stautzenberger, Richardson and Reeves strung together three consecutive singles with an out in the fifth. Reeves’ single brought in Stautzenberger to make it a 4-0 affair. Madison Harris, who singled in the second frame, was hit by a pitch to juice the bases. Swimley walked as an insurance run came across, 5-0.
Game 1
Generals 2, Eagles 1
TAMU-T’s Vittitow engaged in a pitchers’ duel with LSU-A’s Anjahnelle Townsend. Vittitow took the loss, threw all seven innings, gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, struck out 3 and induced 16 flyouts.
Townsend gave up a run on 7 hits in 7 innings of work, induced 11 flyouts, fanned 2 batters and walked one.
The Eagles were held scoreless until the 6th frame when Richardson smacked an RBI double to right field to score Slamer, who had singled to center. Stautzenberger, who singled into the hole at short, was tagged out trying to score the game-tying run on Richardson’s double.
Vittitow retired LSU-A’s batters in order in the second, third and fourth, sixth and seventh innings on 13 flyouts and two strikeouts. Molly Harrison made an incredible diving catch for the final out of the fourth frame for TAMU-T.
Vittitow got out of a mini jam in the first when the Generals started off with consecutive singles. Vittitow induced two flyouts and fanned the fifth batter of the frame to get out of the jam.