Emotions typically run high on opening day, as the teams are finally getting the chance to compete against an opponent wearing another uniform after scrimmaging each other for the entire offseason.
That was certainly the case for No. 20 Texas A&M Friday night, as the Aggies (1-0) jumped ahead with two first-inning runs and never looked back as they defeated Bowling Green 15-1 in front of 7,279 enthusiastic fans at Blue Bell Park.
“Very proud of our guys,” head coach Rob Childress said after the game. “With the first one, there’s always some butterflies and tonight was no different. Brigham [Hill] got us off to a great start, Nick Choruby started the game off in the bottom and allowed us to breathe a little bit.”
Choruby opened the game with a sharp single up the middle, and Austin Homan quickly followed by blasting a double off the base of the wall in left field. After Bowling Green left fielder Ty Suntken threw wide of his cutoff man, Choruby trotted home and Homan advanced to third.
A few moments later Braden Shewmake reached on an error by the second baseman for the first RBI of his career.
Brigham Hill struggled with his fastball command early in the game, but he mixed in a filthy changeup and a curveball to keep the Falcons off balance. He made several big pitches along the way and finished the night by working out of a bases-loaded jam. In all, Hill scattered seven hits — three of which were on bunts — over six scoreless innings, striking out 10 and walking two.
“I felt great,” Hill said. “It’s always nice to get the first win out of the way. The defense was incredible tonight. Overall it was just great.”
After a couple scoreless frames by both teams, the A&M offense exploded for two runs in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Choruby doubled home Hunter Coleman in the fourth and later scored on another Bowling Green error.
Choruby opened up his senior season in dramatic fashion, reaching base four times and scoring three runs.
“That was an awesome start to the season,” Choruby said. “It was a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Shewmake came through in the sixth with a bases-loaded double, and later in the inning Joel Davis used a nice two-strike approach to single home Shewmake and Homan to give the Aggies a commanding 7-0 advantage.
A&M didn’t take its foot off the gas after that. Logan Foster led off the seventh with a single and Cole Bedford, who replaced Coleman behind the plate in the seventh, walked. After a strikeout by Choruby, Homan reached on an RBI infield single and Shewmake followed with an RBI single that he reached third on due to a Bowling Green error.
The Aggies repeatedly took advantage of their opponent’s miscues, as the Falcons racked up a whopping four errors on the night.
Coleman impressed defensively and behind the plate in his collegiate debut. Most of Hill’s strikeouts came on offspeed pitches in the dirt, and Coleman smothered everything. He also collected two hits and scored two runs.
“There were a lot of tough blocks to be had with that changeup, I thought he did a great job,” Childress said of Coleman.
Freshman Cameron Blake got the start at designated hitter for the Aggies and walked in each of his plate appearances. Foster also got three at-bats as the DH, though, and the competition between the two players is expected to continue throughout the early part of the season.
Seven freshman got into the game for the Aggies, and all seven of them reached base. That is a welcome sign for an inexperienced team trying to progress on the fly early in the season.
Kaylor Chafin replaced Hill in the seventh and struck out three and allowed one in two innings of relief, and freshman Jason Ruffcorn tossed a scoreless ninth after the Aggies already had a comfortable lead.
For the Falcons, first baseman Randy Righter went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and scored their lone run of the game. Shortstop Nick Glanzman went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Starting pitcher Tyler Anderson didn’t pitch poorly, but only lasted 3.2 innings due to an elevated pitch count and not much help from his defense.
The game’s attendance marked the largest opening day crowd in Blue Bell Park history. Due to the possibility of inclement weather on Sunday, the Aggies will play games two and three of the series as a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch will be at 1 p.m. and the final game of the series will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first one.