Texas A&M opens regional with win over Minnesota

Makinzy Herzog and Emiley Kennedy combined on a four-hitter and Grace Uribe contributed a two-run home run as Texas A&M beat Minnesota 5-1 Friday in an NCAA regional game at Norman, Okla.

Haley Lee drove in two runs and Koko Wooley had two hits, including a triple for the Aggies (3026).

Herzog pitched 2 1 ⁄3 innings, allowing two hits and no runs with two strikeouts. Kennedy pitched 42⁄3 innings, allowing two hits and one run.

“I’m really happy with a win to open up this tournament, but also with how our kids fought and competed. I thought our pitchers were outstanding today,” Texas

A&M coach Jo Evans said. “They attacked the strike zone and they gave us a chance to get easy outs. I’m really proud of Emiley (Kennedy) going out there and getting her start, and then (Makinzy) Herzog dealing when she came in, and Kennedy coming back in at the end.”

Three of A&M’s five runs came with two outs before Uribe notched her second-career long ball to give the Aggies a pair of insurance runs in the sixth.

The Aggies face Oklahoma at 1 p.m. Saturday.

TEXAS 6, WEBER ST. 0

Estelle Czech pitched a five-hitter and Janae Jefferson and Mia Scott had three hits each as the Longhorns defeated the Wildcats at the Seattle regional.

Czech struck out six and walked one.

Jefferson homered and scored three runs while Scott drove in a pair of runs for Texas (40-17-1).

OKLAHOMA 14 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 0

Nicole May and Hope Trautwein held the Panthers hitless and the top-ranked Sooners hit four home runs in a game that ended after five innings due to the run rule at Norman, Oklahoma.

NEBRASKA 3 NORTH TEXAS 0

Olivia Ferrell and Courtney Wallace held the Mean Green to three hits and the Cornhuskers went on to win the regional opener at Stillwater, Okla.

Tayla Evans had two hits, including a triple, for North Texas (35-16).