Some say when it rains it pours, and if the clouds starting to roll in over Blue Bell Park as head coach Michael Earley and head coach Jim Schlossnagle stepped to home plate to exchange a hand shake didn’t predict the Game 2 storm that was brewing, an eight-run first inning did.
Being swept in last year’s matchup against No. 2 Texas in Austin, No. 18 Texas A&M baseball didn’t let that happen in front of the 12th Man, claiming the series win in just Game 2 of this year’s edition of the Lone Star Showdown, 11-4, on Saturday, April 11.
“I mean winning in this league is so hard,” Earley said. “I mean, you look around the scores every weekend, you think one team’s gonna beat the next, and it’s just a freaking grind, and we’re not done yet.”
The run that the Longhorns were left looking for in Game 1’s ninth inning, they found in Game 2’s first. Getting the ball for A&M, sophomore left-handed pitcher Aiden Sims gave up a leadoff double to junior second baseman Ethan Mendoza. A routine ground out that couldn’t find the glove of freshman shortstop Boston Kellner scored Mendoza two batters later. Luckily for the Aggies, the first-inning jam ended in a double play, limiting the Longhorns to just one.
Back-to-back singles up the middle immediately put two Fightin’ Farmers on with no outs. A free pass from graduate student LHP Luke Harrison to senior designated hitter Jake Duer loaded the bases for freshman third baseman Nico Partida. Sending out the only longball in Game 1, he ignited the storm at Olsen Field.
A fair ball down the left field line put A&M in front 2-1, but with just one out, both teams and the Olsen Field faithful were sent scrambling for cover and into a weather delay.
Two hours after the 2 p.m. first pitch, the Aggies took the field once again to finish the first inning, bringing a storm of their own. This time it wasn’t the rain sending the Longhorns running for some type of coverage, but a six-run scoring rampage that did.
A two-RBI double off the bat of junior catcher Bear Harrison pushed the Maroon and White lead to 4-1. Following a walk to Kellner, A&M returned to the top of the lineup with junior first baseman Gavin Grahovac up to bat.
After putting down his first triple of the season in Game 1, he sent yet another triple off the left field wall, clearing the bases and adding to the Aggies’ advantage, 7-1. Bringing in Grahovac was junior center fielder Caden Sorrell with an RBI-double of his own that capped off the opening frame, eight runs and two hours later.
Texas couldn’t find a response until a solo shot in the third inning let junior CF Aiden Robbins round the bases, however, the Longhorns were still left trailing 8-2.
In the bottom of the third, the pitching efforts from the Burnt Orange counteracted the solo home run. A wide throw to first base let freshman right fielder Jorain Wilson reach second and a wild pitch ball four to Harrison pushed him to third. A sac fly was all that was needed for him to find home and Schlossnagle to call to the bullpen for the second time of the game to handle the final out.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth from Sims, he gave up a solo shot in the fifth to graduate student DH Josh Livingston as Texas attempted to inch closer, 9-3.
In trouble with two runners on, Earley decided to look to the bullpen after 4.2 innings pitched by Sims, giving up three runs off four hits while striking out three. Relieving him was sophomore right-handed pitcher Gavin Lyons, who was able to put away the final out and put A&M back up to bat.
The bottom of the fifth was quiet for the Maroon and White, sensing another storm as they headed into the sixth. Another clean inning from Lyons flipped the inning over to A&M. A hit-by-pitch sent Kellner walking to first and a two-run cannon from Sorrell brought him home, with the Aggies extending their lead, 11-3.
In the seventh, a single from sophomore left fielder Terrence Kiel II followed by two balks by freshman RHP Michael Winter put him 90 feet away from another run on the board, but a grounder’s choice caught him out on his attempt at home.
With six Longhorn outs remaining, Robbins sent out the third Longhorn solo home run of the afternoon and his second of the game barely over the left center wall, adding to the last run to Texas’ column, 11-4.
Another scoreless inning for A&M in the eighth brought Lyons back out to the mound to close out the game. Three batters later, the Aggies clinched the series in the 11-4 victory, with Lyons picking up his fifth career win after 4.1 innings pitched with only three hits, one run and striking out five.
“I would definitely say that was my best one so far,” Lyons said. “Just a whole lot of strikes, getting ahead in the counts and getting a lot of people out.”
The Aggies will look for the Lone Star Showdown sweep in Game 3 on Sunday, April 12, at Blue Bell Park with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
