In the last game under the Olsen lights in the regular season, the postgame fireworks weren’t the only thing flying as No. 10 Texas A&M baseball grabbed a 11-9 win over No. 13 Mississippi State on Friday, May 15. The two squads combined for a total of seven home runs over the contest as both starters were chased out of the game by the third inning.
“It was definitely back and forth,” head coach Micheal Earley said. “I’m super proud of the way they responded. They’ve done that all season, so I’m not surprised at all.”
Junior right-handed pitcher Weston Moss got the nod back in his familiar Game 2 slot. The Spring native’s work was limited to just two innings, surrendering three earned runs on four hits, striking out four.
Following a single off the bat of junior third baseman Gavin Grahovac, junior center fielder Caden Sorrell gave the Aggies the lead early, smashing a home run into the Bulldogs’ bullpen. A misplayed pop fly led to junior designated hitter Chris Hacopian to reach base safely. In a continued struggle for graduate student second baseman Gehrig Frei, a ground ball off the bat of senior 2B Ben Royo ended up by the Mississippi State dugout from an error. Scoring threats by A&M ceased after freshman right fielder Jorian Wilson struck out to end the frame.
After back-to-back baserunners from the Bulldogs off of a walk and single, a mishandled throw from Moss off of a bunt, brought home the first Mississippi run of the day. Another single off the bat of junior catcher Kevin Milewski tied the game up, and the A&M defense continued to falter as the inning went on, allowing a bunt single to bring in another Bulldog.
Sorrell’s hot day continued in the bottom of the second, knocking a triple to bring junior first baseman Blake Binderup and Grahovac. Hacopian and senior left fielder Jake Duer failed to bring in Sorrell, setting the score at 4-3 headed to the third.
“That guy’s a really good pitcher, but [Sorrell’s] really good too,” Earley said. “He’s a superstar when he plays like that.”
A first pitch bomb from graduate student DH Noah Sullivan, followed by a walk, ended Moss’ day after just two innings. Junior left-handed pitcher Shane Sdao was the relief for the Aggies, and following a pickoff at first, the Montgomery native gave up the lead thanks to a home run from graduate student 1B Reed Stallman, 5-4.
The lead changes never seemed to end going into the bottom of the third, with this time a Binderup bomb giving the Aggies the advantage. Flame-thrower freshman LHP Jack Bauer faced a similar fate as starting sophomore RHP Duke Stone, as Grahovac had no problem sending a 100 mph pitch the other way for home run No. 19 on the season.
A home run derby at Olsen started to take place, as sophomore shortstop Ryder Woodson got in on the fun with a two-run blast of his own, putting the score at 8-7. Sdao dialed things in though, with help from Royo at second to limit the damage.
Back-to-back singles from Wilson and freshman SS Boston Kellner set the stage for Sorrell, who inched ever closer to the cycle with a double down the left field line. The hard ground ball marked Sorrell’s sixth RBI of the game.
The Bulldogs brought the Aggies’ lead to just one after Sullivan left the yard again, bringing in two and setting the score at 10-9. A soaring catch from Duer kept Mississippi State at bay, though, ending Sado’s outing after four innings.
Free bags issued to Duer and Binderup, as well as a single from the scorching hot Royo, put the ducks on the pond for Kellner, who drew a hit-by-pitch that brought home Duer. A Grahovac fielder’s choice ended the frame with the score at 11-9.
Junior RHP Clayton Freshcorn took over for Sdao in the bottom of the seventh, retiring the side and striking out one to start his work.
Freshcorn continued his dominance through the eighth, striking out two and keeping runs off the board headed to the bottom of the frame.
“I’ve just been going one pitch at a time, one inning at a time,” Freshcorn said. “I’m just wanting to treat every inning like its own.”
After an uneventful few tries for the Aggie bats, Freshcorn came out to close the game in the ninth. Two strikeouts and a diving grab from Royo earned Freshcorn his 12th save of the year.
A&M will look to take the series in its last regular season game on Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m.
