TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The seventh-ranked Texas A&M softball team warmed up for a top-10 showdown against host Florida State by cruising to a doubleheader sweep of the Florida A&M Rattlers on Friday at the JoAnne Graf Classic. The Aggies (12-1) took the opener 11-2 and needed only five innings to win the second game 11-2.
A&M walked all over the Rattlers in the opener, taking advantage of 13 walks and a hit batsman. Seven of the runners who scored reached via a walk or HBP. While the Aggies were wearing out a path walking to first base, the Rattlers were walking back to the dugout with regularity as A&M freshman Sydney Lessentine struck out a school-record 19, needing only two putouts from her defense. The right-hander allowed two hits, a pair of doubles in the fourth that helped Florida A&M score its two runs. Lessentine (3-0) walked one and hit one, throwing 124 pitches. He struck out the last 10 batters.
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"I think my rise[ball] and then my changeup near the end was really helping me out," Lessentine said.
The most she stuck out before in New Mexico high school play or travel ball was 18. The 5-foot-9 Lessentine wasn't keeping track of how many strikeouts she had, but the other girls in the dugout were. It's the most strikeouts in a seven-inning game this season.
"She did a great job, she spins the heck out of the ball," A&M head coach Trisha Ford said. "She used all the zones. She did a good job of working their swing patterns."
A&M had seven hits in the opener with sophomore Mya Perez going 3 for 4 with a two-run home run and an RBI off a fielder's choice. Freshman KK Dement was 2 for 4 with a two-run home run and an RBI single.
The Aggies won the second game 12-1 in five innings, relying more on the bats with 11 hits and only four walks. Senior Kylei Griffin, Perez and Dement each had two hits. Perez drove in four runs. She had a two-run single in the second to make it 5-1 and added a two-run homer in the third to make it 10-1.
Perez was 5 for 7 on the day with seven RBIs and two walks. Dement was 4 for 7 with four RBIs. A&M batters struck out only five times.
"I think we came out on offense firing on all cylinders, especially in the second game," Ford said.
Sparks (2-0) had a short day, allowing three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
FSU (3-7) scored in the top of the first on a double by Amari Brown and a one-out single by Jamison Townsend. A&M answered with three in the bottom of the inning and was in control the rest of the way.
Brown (1-2) was the losing pitcher in the second game. She also had a hit in each game. Zoryana Hughes (2-1) was the loser in the opener.
Eighth-ranked Florida State defeated Florida A&M 11-0 in five innings on Thursday, talking advantage of 14 walks and a hit batsman. It defeated Southeastern Louisiana 5-0 in Friday's first game of a doubleheader.
The Seminoles will be A&M's third-ranked opponent of the season. A&M beat 19th-ranked Baylor 10-7 on opening weekend at the Aggie Classic and last week lost 6-5 to 10th-ranked Oklahoma State on a two-run walk-off homer.
"I'm excited for this opportunity," Ford said
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