Texas A&M Softball Team Completes Sweep with Ole Miss
TEXAS – No. 11 Texas A&M softball team honoured its senior players on Sunday, but the true star of the game was none other than junior pitcher Emiley Kennedy. She towered above all in the match, propelling the Aggies to ink their optimal home record in league play since enlisting into the Southeastern Conference.
Impressive Display by Emiley Kennedy
Emiley Kennedy sealed 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief against Ole Miss leading to a 7-2 victory from Saturday’s postponed game. The left-handed pitcher then restricted Ole Miss to only two hits in Sunday’s routine game which led to 11th-ranked A&M securing a 2-0 victory, marking their third series sweep for the year.
Coach’s Words of Praise
“Emily Kennedy was lights out all day today,” A&M coach Trisha Ford said. “That kid’s just been special. I felt like she got better as the game went.”
A&M, with the 6-foot-2 Kennedy at the helm, has its sight set on hosting a regional in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018. If accomplished, it would be a sizable advantage.
A&M recorded 11 home victories in SEC play at home this year with a single loss to Kentucky on a seventh-inning home run. A&M’s abysmal home league record since joining the South Eastern Conference was 10-2 in 2018. They could barely win 11 conference games in six of the seasons since amassing into the SEC for the 2013 season.
The Game Summary
The Ole Miss team (25-22, 3-15), currently in the last place, couldn’t tarnish A&M’s Senior Day festivities. The Rebels, who swallowed their 12th straight SEC loss, remained competitive but couldn’t capture the lead in the series. All runs scored by A&M were unearned. In the subsequent game, A&M benefited from eight walks gifted by Ole Miss.
Noteworthy Performances
A&M managed to seize Ole Miss’s mistakes in Sunday’s game. Rebels’ starting pitcher Grace Sparks walked senior Trinity Cannon with one out in the second inning. This gave A&M a 1-0 lead. Ole Miss’ could only manage an errorless inning and faced a setback when their relief pitcher Brianna Lopez gifted A&M an insurance run with a wild pitch. However, Kennedy didn’t require that extra run as she successfully retired the last seven batters she faced.
Concluding Remarks
It was a challenging game for A&M but they emerged victorious thanks to their excellent team performance. Looking forward to their next match with Houston at 6 pm on Tuesday at Davis Diamond.
