By ROBERT CESSNA

Eagle Staff Writer

Rhiannon Kliesing showed Wednesday night why good things are in store for the Texas A&M softball program after the departure of All-Americans Megan Gibson and Amanda Scarborough.

Kliesing pitched a no-hitter and blasted a three-run homer to power the fifth-ranked Aggies to an 11-0 nonconference victory over Texas State before 865 at the Aggie Softball Complex.

The freshman capped her night of college firsts by homering in the fourth, then retiring Texas State in order in the fifth inning to end the game via the run rule.

"It was pretty exciting," the 5-foot-9 right-hander said of her first collegiate no-hitter and home run. "I wasn't going out there planning to do any of that. I was just trying to throw groundballs, like a normally do."

Texas State, which leads the Southland Conference, hit only one ball to the outfield. Kliesing struck out five and walked three. The closest thing the Bobcats had to a hit was a soft liner by Kelsey Cammarata behind second base in the fourth that shortstop Macie Morrow caught easily.

"Rhi was in total control," A&M head coach Jo Evans said. "I was excited about the way she went out and the composure she had, because she hasn't thrown in a complete week."

Kliesing relies heavily on a dropball. She averages less than a strikeout an inning but also walks less than two batters per game.

"I try to keep the ball low and off the plate," she said.

Kliesing was thrust into the role of the team's No. 2 starter when Scarborough suffered a season-ending injury. Kliesing is 12-4 with a 1.31 earned run average. She has 15 complete games, six of them shutouts.

She threw the team's third no-hitter of the season. Scarborough no-hit Sam Houston State on Feb. 13 and Gibson had a five-inning no-hitter against Kansas on Saturday.

The biggest surprise by Kliesing on Wednesday night was her first career homer.

"She's been swinging the bat really well in the cages," Evans said.

So well that hitting coach Mary Jo Firnbach told Evans the freshman needed an at-bat or two, if possible.

It's not as if A&M (43-7) needs the extra bat. The Aggies have scored at least seven runs in eight Big 12 games with everyone in the lineup contributing.

Against Texas State, the Aggies had an 8-0 lead after two innings, which allowed Evans to get Kliesing and reserves Mandy Gegen and Bailey Schroeder at-bats.

Kliesing was recruited to do more than pitch, hitting almost .400 at Pearland High over four years while driving in 97 runs with 41 extra-base hits.

"She's a great athlete," Evans said. "She can hit. And she can play first. She's that prototype pitcher that we bring in."

Kliesing's teammates hit the game's first three homers to make her night easier.

Senior third baseman Jamie Hinshaw homered in the first inning after Natalie Villarreal reached on an error and Megan Gibson walked. Hinshaw's blast bounced on the road behind the right-field fence. A tree prevented it from reaching the Olsen Field parking lot. Hinshaw was 3 for 3 with three runs scored. She also had four assists.

Morrow crushed a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the second. Holly Ridley, who was hit by a pitch in the first, added a two-run homer to center field to make it 8-0. She reached down and lined a shot over the 220-foot sign.

NOTES -- Texas State (30-16, 20-4 Southland) had been 2-3 vs. Top 25 teams and 2-4 vs. Big 12 teams. ... Texas State starter Ragan Blake (15-10) left with out one in the second. ... A&M will resume Big 12 play this weekend with two games at Nebraska. ... Ridley has been hit by pitches eight times this season, including in seven of the last 11 games.