No. 11 Texas A&M’s bottom half of the batting lineup exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the 7-3 win over Missouri Friday night at Olsen Field.
The Aggies (23-5, 6-1 SEC) battled with momentum throughout the game as umpires stopped the game for instant review, and was held scoreless for six innings.
“We’re 27, 28 games into the year and we had more replays and more moments for that umpiring crew tonight than maybe we see collectively all year,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “I thought they did a good job maintaining sanity of the game and trying to get all of the calls right, and I’m thankful we have that in our league.”
Missouri (17-10, 2-5 SEC) saw success from the mound as starting left-handed pitcher Jacob Cantleberry who threw eight strikeouts, six hits, three walks and two earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched.
After the first three innings resulted in no runs for either ball club, Tigers first baseman Cameron Swanger launched his first home run of the season over the left field wall with a runner on second to go up 2-0.
The Aggies answered in the bottom of the sixth after Mikey Hoehner launched a 2 RBI double down the third base line, allowing infielder Braden Shewmake and Jonathan Ducoff to cross the plate tying the game.
Tigers head coach Steve Bieser made the call to take Cantleberry off the mound after the two earned runs and put senior right-handed pitcher Cameron Dulle in for relief.
In the top of the seventh Missouri answered with an unearned run from leadoff hitter Clayton Peterson after outfielder Kameron Misner hit a single into right field.
After two outs in the seventh inning, Childress called right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller to the mound. Miller struck two Missouri batters out swinging and allowed a single hit in a critical top inning on defense for the Aggies.
At the start of the bottom of the eighth, Dulle got into a jam after he walked two Aggies and allowed a hit, loading the bases with only one out.
Following the intentional walk on Hoehner, designated hitter Logan Foster hit an RBI single to the shortstop, tying the game, 3-3.
“That was pretty exciting for me,” Foster said. “I’ve never really had that opportunity here at Texas A&M to be able to do that. In that situation you can’t overthink it and with a runner at third base with less than two outs you gotta put the ball in play.”
With the bases still loaded, catcher Hunter Coleman hit an RBI single into center field, but after a muffed throw from the infielder to first plate, Coleman advanced to allow another run, making it, 5-3.
Center fielder Zach DeLoach hit a sacrifice fly and an RBI to center field, putting Foster over home plate and Coleman on third. Dulle threw a wild pitch that landed left of the catcher, allowing Coleman to score an unearned run to wrap up the game, 7-3.
A&M closing pitcher Kasey Kalich came in the top of the ninth and retired the batters in order to finish the game.
Aggies’ starting left-handed pitcher John Doxakis finished the game with eight strikeouts, allowing 10 hits and three runs in 6.2 innings pitched. Doxakis said that his secondary pitches have been making improvements in recent weeks.
“It was a lot better,” Doxakis said. “Slider was back and sharp, for a team that doesn’t strike out a lot I was pretty happy with how it went.”
The Aggies continue the three-game series with Missouri on Saturday at Olsen Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.