After losing its first two matchups, the No. 23 Texas A&M baseball salvaged the first weekend of SEC play with a 9-0 win over the Auburn Tigers in the second game of Saturday’s double-header at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Al.
Sophomore pitcher Grayson Long went a career-long eight innings and shut out the Tigers, allowing seven hits and one walk while retiring seven batters on 118 pitches. Long (2-0) has given up just one earned run this season in 26 innings pitched, and his 0.35 ERA is best on the team.
The Tigers (13-7, 2-1 SEC) threatened to score in the bottom of the first inning, but Long helped the Aggies escape unscathed – despite allowing three hits. Long would settle down after the early scare, and would not allow another hit until the fifth inning – retiring 11 Auburn hitters in a row.
A&M (14-7, 1-2 SEC) drew first blood in the top of the third inning when junior third baseman Blake Allemand brought home sophomore shortstop Logan Taylor on a sacrifice fly.
The Aggies would add a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth when senior Krey Bratsen beat out an infield single, driving in junior first baseman Cole Lankford. Junior designated hitter Mitchell Nau brought home sophomore left fielder Jonathon Moroney with a sacrifice bunt to make the score 4-0 in favor of A&M.
Senior catcher Troy Stein drove in two with the third of his career-best four hits in the seventh. Stein’s 4-for-5 hitting night raised his batting average to .292, third-best on the team.
After putting up three more runs in the top of the ninth, Aggie senior closer Jason Jester came in to shut the door. Jester allowed one single, but recorded all three outs on strikeouts to give A&M its first conference win of the season.
On Friday, the Tigers shutout A&M, 4-0, behind a complete game from Auburn starting pitcher Dillon Ortman, who held the Aggies to just four hits on 116 pitches in nine innings.
Due to weather concerns, the teams played a double-header on Saturday. In the first game, the Aggies were dealt a complete game performance from Auburn – seeing Tiger freshman starter Keegan Thompson strikeout ten and give up just four hits in Auburn’s 5-2 victory.
A&M returns to College Station at 6:35 p.m. Saturday as it hosts Columbia (5-7) at Blue Bell Park at Olsen Field.