A&M softball ends regular season with win over Texas Tech ...

A&M softball ends regular season with win over Texas Tech

Published Sunday, May 15, 2011 12:09 AM

Texas A&M's Mel Dumezich (center) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Texas Tech on Saturday. Dumezich later hit a solo homerun to help seal the victory for the Aggies.

The Texas A&M softball team is peaking at the right time.

Winning pitcher Melissa Dumezich homered for the second straight day to lead the 18th-ranked Aggies to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Senior Day before 1,333 fans.

A&M ended the regular season with its seventh straight Big 12 victory. The Aggies (41-13, 13-5) who already had clinched third place, were unbeaten at the Aggie Softball Complex this season, stretching their home winning streak to 24 games, which includes two victories from last season. A&M's late-season surge heading into postseason saw them win six of their last seven games against ranked teams.

"We're really playing great together as a team," A&M head coach Jo Evans said.

Leading the great play has been Dumezich, who was in the circle for the ninth straight game Saturday.

Tech came into the weekend series leading the nation in hitting at .355, but could manage only five hits against Dumezich, who in the batter's box matched Tech in runs batted in and scored two more runs than the Red Raiders.

Dumezich tried to surprise Tech with a bunt to start the sixth inning, but she pushed the 3-1 pitch foul. Dumezich blasted the next pitch over the netting atop the left-field fence to make it 4-2. That came after the sophomore right-hander had stranded two runners in the top of the inning. She retired Logan Hall, who had doubled in the fourth to tie the game at 2, and struck out Raven Richardson, who had both of Tech's hits against Dumezich in Friday's 2-0 Aggie victory.

Dumezich (27-8) ended with a three-hitter. She struck out nine and walked four. It was the fifth straight weekend she pitched back-to-back games.

"She's probably a little tired. We've gotta get her a little rest," Evans said. "But she is such a fighter. That kid is so competitive. It was a grind. I don't think she had her best stuff today, but it was good enough to win."

Dumezich was also good at the plate, where she batted .252 last season with six homers and 33 RBIs. She'd been struggling in Big 12 play, hitting only .159 heading into the weekend. But along with the homers, she struck the ball hard twice on outs, walked and reached on an error.

Also returning to form at the plate has been All-American catcher Meagan May, who missed 11 games with a broken finger in her right hand. May, who has not played in the field since returning, was 2 for 3 with a walk and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth. She's still batting only .211 in league games since coming back, but is getting her timing back and has walked 13 times.

A&M is getting production throughout its lineup, and making the most of its opportunities.

Tech (40-14, 5-13) gave A&M two runs in the second inning with two throwing errors after Rhiannon Kliesing's leadoff single. But Tech right fielder Ashley Hamada made a diving catch to rob Cassie Tysarczyk of an RBI double.

Tech, which ended the regular season by losing seven of eight, tied it in the fourth on back-to-back two-out opposite-field doubles into the right-center field alley by Sandy James and Logan Hall. Dumezich hit Bledsoe to start the inning.

A&M broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out bloop single by Amber Garza. The freshman fought off a pair of two-strike pitches before looping a full-count pitch over the first baseman. That scored May, who had doubled to right over Hamada's head.

The Aggies tacked on another run after Dumezich's homer with Brittany Walker singling in Natalie Villarreal, who had doubled. Walker's recent move from ninth to second in the order, swapping places with Tysarczyk, has paid dividends.

NOTES -- A&M has played its way into possibly hosting a regional next weekend. The Aggies jumped nine spots to 16th in the NCAA ratings percentage index, which will be used to select the NCAA 64-team field that will be announced at 9 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

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