Texas A&M softball answered a heartbreaking Friday with a sweet Valentine’s Saturday against North Carolina State.
Strong pitching and a big sixth-inning highlighted a 10-2 Aggies victory at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Florida. Micaela Wark hit her fifth home run of the season, part of a 2-for-4 day. She racked up four total RBIs and scored two runs. It was a nice recovery after Texas A&M dropped two games in a doubleheader Sunday by a combined three runs.
Following a scoreless first three innings Saturday, Aggies slugger Mya Perez drove in third baseman Kennedy Powell on a fielder’s choice. Left-hander Sydney Lessentine was rolling at that point and tossed five clean innings to begin the game.
In the sixth, Powell scored on an Ariel Kowalewski double then Perez reached. Tannell Edwards brought in Kowelewski on an RBI single before Wark’s three-run bomb to left field. The Aggies tacked on two more before the end of the frame. Powell had three hits, scored two runs and drove in another out of the leadoff spot.
Most of the damage came against NC State right-hander Kylee Wyman (0-3). She struck out four over five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits. She was relived by Kendall Welk who recorded the final four outs for the Wolfpack but allowed four runs on two walks and four hits.
Lessentine (2-0) threw 5⅔ strong innings, allowing a pair of runs in the sixth and four hits total. She struck out seven and didn’t walk anyone over 21 batters faced. Sidne Peters was hitless in relief, striking out two of the four final NC State batters.
The Aggies (5-3) played errorless ball and banged out 13 hits. NC State (3-5) committed two errors and mustered just four hits. To finish out the tournament, Texas A&M will play James Madison and Northwestern in a Sunday doubleheader.