With a two-run home run in the fifth inning and a four-score run in the fourth, the No. 11 Texas A&M baseball team advanced to 9-0 after defeating the Incarnate Word Cardinals 9-7 at Blue Bell Park on Wednesday and ending their nine-game stand in College Station. 
Head coach, Rob Childress was pleased with the level of play tonight and didn’t think the four runs by the Cardinals in the ninth dampened their win. 
“I would’ve loved to have gotten out of here with one unearned run, but it didn’t happen that way. It is what it is.” Childress said. “We made some big pitches, [got] off the field with traffic on the bases It usually all comes back to square.” 
The most notable inning for the Aggies happened in the third when they secured a 5-0 lead after scoring four runs and adding to their solo run in the first inning. Junior, Allonte Wingate started the inning with a single hit to right center that lead to a pitch change for the Cardinals. With freshman, Michael McElmeel in for Incarnate Word, the Aggies were able to bust the game wide open. 
A&M freshman, Zach DeLoach was walked, bringing in Michael Helman who bunted to third base. This forced a bases loaded situation after Helman was called safe at first. A single to right field by Braden Shewmake would bring in DeLoach and Wingate. Here, the Aggies were able to advance off the Cardinals’ mistakes. They would later bring in three more players due to fielding errors by the Cardinals and a fly out to center field by their own, Logan Foster.
Despite their five-run lead, the Aggies didn’t hold it for very long. The fourth inning belonged to the Cardinals as they were able to score three runs off of A&M’s senior pitcher, Kaylor Chafin, who relieved Dustin Saenz early in the inning. With the game now set at 5-3, A&M was able to responded late in the fourth with a triple by DeLoach, advancing him to third and bringing Wingate home. This run, however, would be the only one allowed. 
Sophomore, Logan Foster said that in these situations the team either has to stand their ground or have their opponents take over. Tonight, he said they were able to stand their ground when the Cardinals began to fight back in the fourth. 
“We always talk about having teams that are going to punch back and whether we’re going to stand our ground…tonight we definitely stood our ground and we were ready to punch back when they threw one.” Foster said. 
A two-run homer to left field by Foster would bring the score to 8-3 at the bottom of the fifth. Neither team would score again until the eighth inning when Wingate singled to left field, bringing home Cole Bedford. Entering the ninth, the Aggies only needed three outs to close out the game and top the Cardinals by six runs. 
However, the inning seemed to play to the Cardinals strengths. With two outs and bases loaded, the Cardinals’ Kyle Bergeron sent a homer to left field forcing them to come within two runs of the Aggies. A pop up by David Anaya finished the inning and secured the Aggies with a 9-7 win over the Cardinals. 
Foster and Wingate lead in at bats, going 2-for-1 and 3-for-2 against the Cardinals. Shewmake finished with two RBI’s and Foster with three. While starting pitcher, Dustin Saenz finished with a 2.35 ERA and four strikeouts after pitching three innings in his second career appearance for the Aggies. 
Taking their game on the road Friday, Childress said this tournament will be a test for the team due to the regional-type atmosphere and teams that it brings. 
“We finished the month of February off the right way. Hard to do better than we did the month of February.” Childress said. “New month, new challenges. Going on the road it’s going to be a regional-type atmosphere. They do a great job putting on that tournament and all three teams are going to be an incredible test for us.” 
The Aggies will travel for the first time this season as they head to Frisco, Texas to play Louisiana Tech on Friday at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark. First pitch is set to start at 7 p.m.