To call the Tuesday, April 11 game against UTSA an underwhelming performance to Aggie fans would be an understatement.
From start to finish, Texas A&M was handled by the visiting Roadrunners. After going down 5-0 after three innings, the Aggies only managed to muster four hits on the night. Once again, in what has been a theme seemingly all season, A&M’s pitching staff could not secure crucial outs, allowing five runs on 13 hits.
UTSA is coming off of a series against Charlotte in which it played a doubleheader on Thursday and had its series finale canceled due to weather, so the Roadrunners are coming off of an additional days rest compared to the Aggies. The Roadrunners came into the matchup only 13 Rating Percentage Index spots, which calculates team quality, behind A&M.
“I warned my team of [UTSA] yesterday, and maybe that was too much for them,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Probably shouldn’t have said a word. I don’t know if today’s college player pays attention to the value of every game, and I tried to warn them of it.”
Sophomore LHP Troy Wansing got his second midweek start of the season and for the second straight week, the southpaw struggled.
“The game went perfectly for them, and we couldn’t match it,” Schlossnagle said. “We couldn’t match it on the mound early.”
After a clean first frame, Wansing found himself in trouble. The left-hander secured the first out of the inning with a strikeout. A single put a runner on base, and UTSA scored the first run of the game after a throw from senior RF Brett Minnich was misplayed at third base by junior 3B Trevor Werner, going past the third baseman and driving in the run.
Wansing then allowed a double to drive in another run for the Roadrunners, putting them up two runs early and sending the Kansas City native to the dugout early in the game. On the day, Wansing only pitched 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits.
Junior LHP Evan Aschenbeck came in for Wansing but fared no better. After a walk in the third inning that turned into a runner thrown out at second by junior C Hank Bard, the southpaw gave up a solo shot deep to left field to stretch UTSA’s lead to three.
Aschenbeck got the second out on a strikeout, but much like last weekend, Aggie pitching could not secure the crucial final out of the inning.
A walk put a Roadrunner on base, and two consecutive doubles drove in two more runs for UTSA, giving them a five-point lead that they held almost the entirety of the night.
“It would be nice to not have to pitch Aschenbeck twice in a weekend,” Schlossnagle said. “He just got some balls up, a two-strike breaking ball, a home run. He walked two guys. He had a bad night.”
The only time A&M made any commotion on the base paths was in the bottom of the ninth. Werner began the inning by drawing a walk, with junior DH Jack Moss dropping a single into shallow left to put two runners aboard with no outs.
A wild pitch advanced both runners, and the Aggies had two in scoring position. Junior SS Hunter Haas brought Werner home to give A&M its only run of the evening.
Any chance at a comeback was promptly squashed by junior UTSA RHP Simon Miller, who came into the game leading the country in ERA at .50. Minnich struck out in the next at bat, and senior 2B Austin Bost hit a weak popup to end the game and give UTSA the victory.
“They just beat us in every phase,” Schlossnagle said. “Way more concerned about how we respond and play on Thursday. This is over with.”
A&M looks to bounce back on Thursday, April 13 as it hosts the Missouri Tigers at 6 p.m. at Olsen Field.