The Bearkats outplayed, outpitched and outhit fifth-ranked Texas A&M in a 14-inning marathon Wednesday at the Bearkat Softball Complex. The only thing the Bearkats failed to do was finish.

Sam Houston State let the Aggies sneak away with a 2-1 win in a game that began long before the sun went down on a warm, springlike day. By the time the Aggies (4-1) pushed across the winning run, it felt like winter had returned to Huntsville, especially for the Bearkats, who left 18 runners on base.

That was the biggest difference in a serious pitchers' duel between SHSU senior Brandi Crnkovic and Texas A&M sophomore Rhiannon Kliesing.

The Bearkats (4-1) had plenty of chances. They just could not get the key hit ? or a long fly ball ? when they needed it most.

“I think it's about timely hitting,” Bearkats coach Bob Brock said. “We had two innings where we left the bases loaded. We couldn't seem to get the hit. I thought for sure we'd get that long fly ball when we got the bases loaded and nobody out in the ninth. I guess that's why they are the fifth-ranked team in the country.

“Today, I thought our team was the number one team in the nation,” Brock added. “Brandi was just on fire the whole game, Casie Everitt caught and called a very good game behind the plate and our defense was superb. Alex Survant made a great catch in right field and Sarah Parich made some unbelievable plays at third. The girls are disappointed, but we've got a pretty strong team this year. ... I don't think anything we did tonight was a surprise to us.”

The Bearkats, who get another shot at the Aggies on Friday at the Easton Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La., had a chance to beat the Aggies without going to extra innings. Leading 1-0 with one out in the seventh inning, Crnkovic made perhaps her only mistake of the game. She made it against the wrong hitter, too.

Aggies right fielder Holly Ridley, a senior from Sugar Land, turned on an inside riseball and drove it out of the park. Ridley's solo home run crashed off the scoreboard in left and gave the Aggies life. Prior to Ridley's homer, A&M had collected only three hits off Crnkovic, who went the distance for Sam Houston.

“That was a horrible riseball. Horrible,” said Crnkovic, who set a school record for innings pitched in a game. She allowed nine hits and three walks while striking out seven. “It was a bad pitch, inside, a fatty.”

Kliesing also pitched a complete game. She gave up 11 hits and six walks, but fanned 11.

Crnkovic battled like crazy against a team that advanced to the championship round of the College World Series last spring. After pitching well enough to win, Crnkovic humbly gave all the credit to her teammates.

“I wouldn't say I pitched that well, really,” she said. “I'd say our defense played a great game. We had a great defensive effort and a great offensive effort.

“This is definitely something we can build on, but in my opinion, this is an unacceptable loss. We're looking forward to playing them again.”

The Kats won't have to wait long. At 3 p.m. Friday, SHSU and Texas A&M will be back on the field in the first round of LSU's four-team tournament.

Sam Houston State got its only run Wednesday in the bottom of the third. Shortstop Hailey Wiginton ripped a triple to right-center with one out. Survant then lined a single to right to score Wiginton.

That lone run nearly held up.

After Ridley's home run, both teams had opportunities to score in extra innings.

SHSU's best chance came in the ninth. Calli Wood, a freshman from Bryan, led off the inning with a single to left. Kendra Spivey followed with a another single. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Kliesing walked Wiginton to load the bases.

Kliesing, who went 12-4 during the Aggies' magical 57-10 run in 2008, went to work on the meat of the Bearkats' lineup. She got Survant to fly out weakly to left, then Amy Brown did the same to right field. Neither of the balls were hit deep enough for Brock to risk tagging up and trying to score the winning run. Kliesing then struck out cleanup hitter Morgan Mikulin to end the threat.

The Aggies had a chance to score in the top of the 10th. Alex Reynolds singled to start the inning, and Eric Glasco got hit by a pitch. After moving the runners over with a bunt, the Aggies failed to hit a fly ball deep enough for Reynolds to score.

A&M coach Jo Evans tried to catch the Bearkats napping. With two outs, she had Kelsea Orsak drop down a bunt. Parich was not napping. She charged hard, scooped the ball and made a strong throw to first for the third out.

In the 14th, the Aggies finally scored the go-ahead run. Reynolds singled to right with one out. Glasco followed with a rip to left that eluded outfielder Kendra Spivey. The ball skipped to the fence and Reynolds raced all the way from first to home.

The Bearkats had a chance to tie the game again, or possibly win it, in the bottom of the 14th. Brown led off with a single. An error on Aggies second baseman Natalie Villareal put runners on first and third with two outs, but like she did five times before, Kliesing pitched out of the jam. She retired Parich on a long fly to left to end the game.

“We had our opportunities, we just didn't capitalize,” Brock said. “The consolation is, we made them play.”