Friday, May 15
Norman, Okla.
1:30 PM
Lehigh University
39-8
1
vs
2
Texas A&M
39-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Lehigh
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
7
0
Texas A&M
0
0
0
1
1
0
X
2
9
0
Mountain Hawks edged by Texas A&M 2-1 in Norman Regional opener
5/15/2015 4:49:00 PM | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. – A strong all-around effort from the Lehigh softball team came up just short as the Mountain Hawks fell 2-1 to Texas A&M Friday in the opening game of the Norman Regional at OU Softball Complex. The Mountain Hawks raced to a 1-0 lead only to see the Aggies rally with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Aggie catcher Ashley Walters delivered the go-ahead RBI with a two-out fifth inning single. The Mountain Hawks put the tying runs on base in both the sixth and seventh innings but could not push the run across.
The loss drops Lehigh to 39-8 on the season. The Mountain Hawks will now play Central Arkansas in an elimination game Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. The Bears fell 8-0 in five innings to Oklahoma in their first-ever NCAA Regional game.
"We played very, very well and Texas A&M played very, very well," Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan said. "There was a play at the plate where if we're called safe on the tag-up in the fifth inning we got second and third with Morgan Decker coming up. We felt like we needed to take a chance right there. We scored once on a tag-up and we got thrown out, their left fielder made a great play on it.
'But like I fully expected, Emily Bausher battled. We had some players who stepped up and played very, very well. I think that we battled with a team from the best conference in the country and battled incredibly well."
Senior Emily Bausher pitched well against the formidable SEC foe but took the loss, allowing two runs on nine hits in six innings of work. She struck out two and walked one as she falls to 21-6 on the season.
"I was really proud of the way the team came out," Bausher said. "From the very first inning we knew that we were there for a reason and wanted to bring a close game and come out with a win, but that didn't happen today for us. But I am really proud of the way that my defense played behind me and the way that my batters supported me. We just didn't get the bounces in that game. I was just so happy to see the way we came out and played a great team and a great game."
Texas A&M (39-18) threatened in the bottom of the first but Bausher got Walters to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Aggie starter Rachel Fox retired the first eight Mountain Hawks she faced before walking junior MacKenzie Velasquez with two outs in the third.
Lehigh's first hit came off the bat of junior Alexis Watanabe leading off the fourth. Fox then hit junior Morgan Decker with a pitch and after a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Vicky Lattanzio, Lehigh had runners on second and third. Junior Jessica Calvini followed with a fly ball to right, and Watanabe slid around the tag to score on the sac fly giving the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Texas A&M pulled even in the bottom of the fourth on a Kristien Cuyos home run to right field.
The Mountain Hawks had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the fifth, loading the bases with one out after singles by senior Cassie Waggy, Velasquez and freshman Nicole Yozzo. Watanabe hit a fly ball to left and after making the catch Aggie left fielder Brittany Clopton threw pinch runner Katie Schultz at the plate to keep the game tied at 1-1.
Clopton opened the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single and Tori Vidales followed with a sharp single to left. After a sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice where senior Emma Capetz threw Clopton out at the plate, Walters dumped a single into right field to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
Decker led off the sixth with a double to left. Katie Marks came on in relief of Fox and retired the next three batters to keep the Aggies ahead.
Waggy led off the seventh with her second hit of the game and Capetz sacrificed pinch runner Rachel Timberman into scoring position. Marks got Velasquez to ground out for the second out before Yozzo popped a bunt over Vidales' head for a single putting runners on the corners with one out. Watanabe hit a sharp line drive up the middle but Cuyos came over from shortstop to grab the liner for the final out of the game.
Fox earned the win allowing a run on five hits in five-plus innings. She walked one and struck out two to improve to 23-13. Marks picked up her first save of the season with two scoreless innings.
"I don't think we need to change anything that we're doing," Bausher said. "I thought we had some good at-bats today and did phenomenally in the field. Just carrying it into tomorrow and playing to win, because we have got to at this point."
Lehigh will play Central Arkansas in an elimination game Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 while audio coverage of the game, and all Lehigh NCAA Regional games will be available for free at Lehighsports.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fox (23-13)
L: Bausher, Emily (21-6)
S: Marks (1)
Batting:
2B: Decker, Morgan 1
RBI: Calvini, Jessica 1
SH: Lattanzio, Vicky 1 ; Capetz, Emma 1
SF: Calvini, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Watanabe, Alexis 1
HBP: Decker, Morgan 1
Batting:
HR: Cuyos 1
RBI: Walters 1 ; Cuyos 1
SH: Ryan 1 ; Clopton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vidales 1 ; Cuyos 1
HBP: Lanphear 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballOF
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