After taking the series over the weekend, the No. 3 LSU softball team dropped its series finale against No. 24 Texas A&M, 5-2, on Monday night. 
It was a night of firsts for LSU (41-6, 13-5 Southeastern Conference) in 2015, and not in a good way.  The loss marked the Tigers’ first defeat at Tiger Park since May 4, 2014, when LSU lost Game 3 of it final SEC series of the 2014 season. 
“I hated to lose in Tiger Park in front of our fans,”  said LSU coach Beth Torina. “I thought our team could keep [the undefeated record] rolling, but their team seemed more prepared than we were today. It seemed like it was more
important to them today.”
From the start, LSU came out flat both at the plate and in the circle. The Aggies (34-14, 9-9 SEC) took full advantage of the Tigers’ sluggish performance by drawing a combined eight walks from LSU’s usually stingy pitching staff. 
Although Texas A&M did not lead in the first two games, the Aggies jumped out to a 2-0 lead by capitalizing on mistakes by LSU starting sophomore pitcher Kelsee Selman (8-0). 
After retiring the Aggies in order in the first inning, Selman struggled with walks and lasted only 2 1/3 innings. 
Selman’s troubles began in the second when she walked the leadoff batter. After a double and an error loaded the bases, Selman walked in a run with her second free pass of the inning. 
After Selman walked two batters in the third, sophomore pitcher Baylee Corbello (9-2) replaced Selman, and Texas A&M scored its second unearned run on an LSU fielding error. 
Corbello held the Aggies scoreless through the next three innings, giving the Tigers a chance to rally. 
Despite not earning a single hit against senior pitcher Rachel Fox in the first four innings, the Tigers rolled in the fifth with three-straight hits to load the bases for sophomore second baseman Constance Quinn. 
Quinn drove in the Tigers’ first run with an RBI single to left. 
Sophomore third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish tied the game, 2-2, in the sixth with a historic home run. With the homer, Jaquish tied her own single-season home run record with 17 on the season and broke the LSU program single-
season RBI record with her 64th. 
“It was really cool,” Jaquish said. “I love seeing all my teammates go crazy. In that moment, it was nice.”
But Jaquish’s career homer wasn’t enough to earn the Tigers a sweep. 
In the top of the seventh inning, Aggies’ freshman shortstop Kristen Cuyos drove in a three-run home run off Corbello to put Texas A&M ahead for good. 
“In the past couple of games, the home runs have just been in the seventh inning,” Corbello said. “It shows as long as they still have an out, they have a chance to score as well. You’ve just really got to stay focused throughout the entire game.”
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.