Staff and Wire Report
AUSTIN -- Bailey Schroeder belted a grand slam and freshman right-hander Rebecca Arbino pitched a four-hitter to lead the Texas A&M softball team to a 6-1 victory over the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night at McCombs Field before a sold-out crowd of 1,376.
A&M won its first Big 12 road game of the season, improving to 30-19 overall and 7-9 in league play. The victory strengthened A&M's chances of making the NCAA Tournament with the Aggies performing well in a nationally televised game.
"This was a huge game and a huge win for us," A&M head coach Jo Evans said. "Our kids were fired up, and that's the way we can play. We've got a really good ballclub. We just need consistency, and we got it tonight."
The Aggies, last year's national runners-up, scored all of their runs in the fifth, wiping out UT's 1-0 lead built on an A&M throwing error.
A&M tied the game at 1 when Rhiannon Kliesing singled home Natalie Villarreal, who had walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. A&M had been 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position before Kliesing lined a shot into center fielder, which UT's Kacie Gaskin couldn't field cleanly, losing any chance for a play at the plate. A&M's Holly Ridley followed with an infield single to load the bases.
A force play at home for the second out kept the score tied, but Schroeder lined a 1-2 pitch from right-hander Brittany Barnhill over the left-field fence for the junior's second career grand slam. Alex Reynolds followed with a booming home run over the center field fence, knocking out Barnhill.
"Rhi's been hot lately," Evans said. "She's swinging the bat really well and that was a big RBI for us. What an exciting grand slam for Bailey and our team. She's just worked her tail off. [Assistant] coach [Mary Jo] Firnbach said before the game that she was ripping the ball in the cage. And when Alex got up and hit the next one out, that was the nail in the coffin."
A&M touched Barnhill (23-12) for six hits. She walked six and struck out five. Barnhill had struck out 11 and walked none in a 5-3 victory the first time the teams met.
"We had some struggles with walks early in the season, and that was a big point of emphasis," UT head coach Connie Clark said. "Unfortunately, tonight's walks came with a couple of timely hits that [A&M] got. That's the difference."
Schroeder, who starred at A&M Consolidated, was 1 for 3 in the first meeting against Barnhill, striking out twice. Schroeder took advantage of injuries to second baseman Villarreal, then shortstop Macie Morrow to earn a starting outfield berth.
Schroeder's grand slam was more than enough for Arbino (10-6), who struck out two and walked one. She was able to get 13 ground ball outs against Texas (37-17, 11-7), which ended the regular season in fourth place in the Big 12 standings.
"Becca was terrific tonight," Evans said. "I felt really good about putting her out there in the lime light, in a big game and she did such a great job. Her change up was fabulous. She could throw it for a strike at any time and she kept their big hitters off balance."
A&M also spoiled Senior Day for four Longhorns including Gaskin, who played at A&M Consolidated, and left fielder and co-captain Crystal Saenz, who played at Bryan.
UT scored in the fourth on a walk, single and two-base throwing error by Morrow trying for an inning-ending double play.
The Aggies, who had lost five straight Big 12 road games, will finish the regular season at 4 p.m. Sunday in Waco against Baylor before heading to the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City on Friday through Sunday.
A&M is in sixth place. The Aggies can't catch fifth-place Nebraska (34-15, 9-8) but could be caught by Oklahoma State (32-19, 7-10) and Kansas (21-29, 6-10).
Seven teams with losing records in league play have made the NCAA Tournament in the first 13 years of the Big 12, but none with a 6-11 record.
Baylor has a pair of former All-Brazos Valley players in junior catcher Courtney Oberg (A&M Consolidated) and outfielder Kayce Walker (Franklin).
Oberg has played in 52 games, starting 51. She is batting .248 with five home runs and 21 runs batted in.
Walker tore an anterior cruciate ligament against Texas on April 22. She was hitting a team-leading .413 and was 23 of 24 on stolen bases.
*
Nebraska 6, Missouri 1: Senior right-hander Molly Hill (24-11) pitched a six-hitter, not allowing an earned run to hand Missouri (41-9, 11-6) its third straight league loss. Nebraska (34-15, 9-8) got a three-run homer from shortstop Whitney Barrett.
*
Iowa State 7, Kansas 2: Alex Johnson had a homer and three runs batted in as ISU (24-28, 6-11) tied a school record for league wins in a season. Val George (10-15) was the losing pitcher for KU (21-29, 6-10).
*
Oklahoma State 2, Texas Tech 1: Julie Ward and Chelsea Garcia had back-to-back doubles in the sixth inning to lift the Cowgirls (32-19, 7-10) over the Red Raiders (15-40, 7-10).