The Aggies won their fifth consecutive game Friday night, using a big night at the plate by Cole Bedford and a terrific start from Corbin Martin to cruise to an 8-2 victory over Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Field.
Texas A&M (25-11, 7-7 SEC) got on the board in the first inning. Nick Choruby led off the game with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a Braden Shewmake groundout and then scored on a two-out RBI single by Hunter Coleman.
“From the go our hitters were putting runs on the board,” Martin told 12thman.com. “It made it a lot easier for me to go out and just attack and let the guys behind me make plays.”
In the fourth, the Aggies tagged Alabama starter Dylan Duarte for four more runs. George Janca singled to lead off the frame and, after a long double by Logan Foster, Shewmake plated Janca with an RBI groundout. Coleman followed with a walk, and then Bedford blasted a three-run home run over the fence in left field.
Bedford went 4-for-5 on the night with three RBI and continues to swing a hot bat for the Aggies. Choruby recorded three hits and scored three runs as well, while nine of the ten Aggies who batted in the game recorded at least one hit.
On the mound, Martin was phenomenal for the Aggies after he lasted only three innings in his last start. He scattered four hits and one run over seven stellar innings of work, striking out five and walking two. He didn’t give up any extra-base hits and freshman John Doxakis pitched the final two innings in relief, striking out four.
“It starts on the mound with our defense. Corbin was special. Doxakis was great behind him and we played almost flawless defense,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “[Martin] was able to get ahead and use the fastball early and late and the secondary stuff in the middle of some counts. He did a really nice job.”
The Aggies tacked on another run in the eighth, as Blake Kopetsky slammed a pinch-hit double off the wall in center field.
A&M will go for the sweep Saturday at 2 p.m. The game can be seen on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app.
“Any time you can go on the road and take two and have chance to sweep on the road it’s huge,” Bedford said. “We want to come out tomorrow and take care of business.”