The UConn softball team's NCAA Tournament journey hit a rough patch right out of the gate, as the Huskies fell to Texas A&M in a mercy-rule-shortened 17-3 loss on Friday at the College Station Regional in Texas.
From the very start, it was clear the Aggies came ready to swing. Texas A&M (37-17) exploded for 13 runs in the second inning alone, sending 19 batters to the plate and collecting 14 hits on the day. Ariel Kowalewski was the star of the show, going 2-for-2 with four RBIs and a home run, powering a relentless Aggies offense that never let up.
For UConn (31-27), the Big East champions, it was a day to forget defensively. Three errors compounded the pitching struggles, as four different Huskies took the circle in that disastrous second inning. Starter Caprice Bohmer took the loss after surrendering eight runs on six hits, including two home runs, before being relieved.
"Obviously we didn't show up the way we wanted to today," said UConn coach Laura Valentino. "We have to be able to pound the zone a little bit better early and not get behind. But I'm confident this team is going to bounce back. We've done it all year."
Texas A&M coach Trish Ford was all smiles after her team's dominant performance. "I thought it was just a tremendous job overall, especially in the batters' box," she said. "We came out and executed our game plan, kept our foot on the gas pedal. I think we scored quite a few runs with two outs in that second inning, which says a lot about this team and who we are."
Savannah Ring provided a bright spot for UConn with a solo home run in the third inning, but it wasn't nearly enough to close the gap. The Huskies now face a must-win situation in the double-elimination tournament, squaring off against the loser of Friday's Arizona State-McNeese game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
For a program making back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2001, the road ahead is steep but not impossible. With the resilience they've shown all season, the Huskies are far from done fighting.