Aggie softball team beats SHSU but loses catcher to injury
Texas A&M's easy victory over the Sam Houston State softball team Wednesday night came with an asterisk that had nothing to do with how the opposition has been struggling.
The 22nd-ranked Aggies' 10-1, five-inning victory was marred by the broken finger suffered by sophomore catcher Meagan May, whose 24 home runs last season set school and Big 12 records.
A&M cleanup hitter May began the night with a team-high 40 runs batted in. Just two batters into the game, May had been hurt and was on her way to joining the crowd of 954 at the Aggie Softball Complex in the role of spectator.
After a single to open the game, Sam Houston's Tori Benavidez fouled off three consecutive 2-2 pitches. The third foul ball fractured the middle finger on May's throwing right hand. May took a break of a minute or so and stayed in the game, but on the next pitch Benavidez chopped a ball in front of the plate that the catcher gloved then threw wildly over the first baseman.
May will require surgery and could miss at least 4-6 weeks before being able to swing a bat. A&M head coach Jo Evans said her all-conference catcher might not be able to play defense the rest of the season.
The Aggies will open Big 12 play Saturday at Baylor.
"It's an enormous loss for us," Evans said. "Meagan's our vocal leader on the field. She does a great job handling our pitchers. She knows how to read hitters. She got a slow start offensively, but she's been swinging great lately. It's clearly a big loss going into conference."
Freshman Nicole Morgan will take over at catcher for A&M. Morgan has started 20 games (12 at DH, four at catcher, four at third base) and has been pushing for a spot in the batting order with a .280 average, five home runs and 15 RBIs. She went 1 for 2 against Sam Houston and drove in one run.
"Nicole Morgan has worked hard to get herself in the lineup," Evans said. "Now she's got to make the most of her opportunity."
The Aggies (27-7) shook off the rocky start. Pitcher Lindsey Sisk struck out the next two batters after May's error and got a fly ball to strand runners at first and third.
"Lindsey Sisk handled the situation great," Evans said.
A&M's hitters manhandled Lady Kat starting pitcher Courtney Schoenemann, who was third on the Sam Houston staff with a 7.11 earned run average. Schoenemann bobbled an easy bouncer from the first batter she faced to help the Aggies score four unearned runs in the first inning.
Kelsey Spittler capped the uprising with a three-run double that came with two outs. In the next inning, Spittler made a nice running catch at the warning track to take an extra-base hit away from Hailey Wiginton and save at least one run.
The Aggies knocked Schoenemann (2-7) out of the game with four runs in the second. Morgan's RBI single was followed by a two-run double from fellow freshman Amber Garza, who drove in three runs.
"We've done a good job of hitting through our lineup," Evans said. "Amber Garza has done a great job of hitting behind Meagan. She'll have a little more on her plate now."
Senior Rhiannon Kliesing bashed her team-leading 13th home run, a two-run shot to center, as the Aggies built a 10-0 advantage in the third.
Sam Houston (12-21) spoiled Sisk's shutout bid with a home run by Wiginton in the fifth. The Lady Kats got runners to second and third after that, but Sisk (13-3) retired the next batter to invoke the run rule and end the game.
Former Bryan standout Alex Survant collected two of the Lady Kats' five hits.