After a brutal run-rule defeat to No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 28, where No. 23 Texas A&M baseball mustered up just two hits over seven innings head coach Michael Earley vowed the Aggies would rebound immediately.
“We’re going to be better,” Earley said. “We’re going to bounce back tomorrow. We’re going to give a good effort tomorrow. We’re going to come out and play our game.”
A&M did just that, defeating Arizona State 9-3 in Game 3 of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series on Sunday, March 1, at Globe Life Field. The Sun Devils tested the Aggies early but couldn’t keep up with an A&M offense that answered every ASU run with Maroon and White firepower.
“Anything can happen, and your response is what the outcome is,” Earley said following the win over Arizona State. “ … I’ve seen it all fall, all spring in practice so I was not surprised at all. I knew they were gonna come out today and play good baseball.”
Holding things down on the mound for the Aggies was sophomore right-handed pitcher Aiden Sims. The Forney native came into the matchup with 17 strikeouts — tied with redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Shane Sdao — and added four more Ks to that total. Sims lasted 4.2 innings while surrendering three hits and two runs to the Sun Devils.
The Aggies immediately made life hell for the Sun Devils and junior RHP Jaden Alba thanks to a two-run bomb off the bat of junior center fielder Caden Sorrell. The club’s home run leader has been addicted to giving out souvenirs, notching his sixth homer of the season to put A&M up, 2-0 in the bottom of the first.
Before things could get out of hand Arizona State answered back, with a two-run homer of its own from redshirt junior designated hitter Garrett Michel — his first of the season — tying things at two apiece in the top of the second.
The Fightin’ Farmers kept their foot on the tractor pedal in the bottom of the second as eight A&M batters stepped up to the plate, mostly due to Alba hitting three straight batters with pitches. In that span the Aggies tacked on three more runs to retake the lead, 5-2.
Things got weird in the bottom of the third as redshirt junior DH Blake Binderup smashed a line drive directly to the pitcher which was called out, before the umpires ruled that the ball went into Alba’s jersey sending the College Station native to first. As if the inning wasn’t odd enough, junior catcher Bear Harrison recorded his second career stolen base after singling to put him and Binderup in scoring position.
Binderup is the only Aggie that had the honor of reaching home plate — thanks to a wild pitch — upping the Aggies lead, 6-2. ASU finally answered back in the top of the sixth with a solo shot from junior CF Dominic Longo to inch closer, 6-3.
But the Sun Devils actions angered the Aggies, who put the icing on the cake immediately with three runs of their own, all via freshman bats. A productive out from freshman shortstop Boston Kellner saw one run plated followed by a two-RBI single from freshman third baseman Nico Partida upped A&M’s advantage, 9-3.
“They’re going to be hopefully staples of this program in the future, but we need them to be really good now so getting them out there is huge,” Earley said.
Senior LHP Ethan Darden and junior RHP Clayton Freshcorn kept the ASU bats in check, giving up just one and two hits respectively. Perseverance at bat and above-par pitching are what kept the Aggies ahead all evening, beating the Sun Devils with a final score of 9-3.
“He’s [Darden] been really impressive,” Earley said “He’s thrown a lot of strikes. He’s got good stuff, gives a unique look to the opposing hitter especially after Sims, so he’s doing his job man. We hand him the ball, we feel comfortable doing it.”
A&M will return home to Olsen Field with a pair of victories and a single loss in toe, for its midweek matchup versus Incarnate Word. The Aggies take on the Cardinals on Tuesday, March 3, at 4 p.m.
