After a not-so-hot reputation in Southeastern Conference series, No. 25 Texas A&M baseball served a three-game sweep to Missouri, capped off by a 14-3 run-rule victory on Sunday, March 29. Junior first baseman Gavin Grahovac collected seven RBI’s, a career-high, and put up another two home run game.

Claiming the series win in just the second game, the Aggies marked their first SEC series win, while looking for their first sweep. The Maroon and White combined for 25 runs across the first two games, defined by the power of the home run at-bats, with six already on the board.

The top of the first told the same story of the previous two tales with a leadoff walk to Grahovac but was followed up by three defensive outs that, unlike the previous two games, sent the Aggies to the dugout scoreless in the first. 

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Aiden Sims took the mound as the Sunday starter. Movement on the bases early in the bottom of the first put runners in scoring position with two outs, but senior designated hitter Cameron Benson went down swinging to get Sims out of an early jam. 

Missouri had to look to its bullpen for the remainder of the game, as it handed the ball to freshman right-handed pitcher Luke Sullivan in the second inning. Two walks after full counts poisoned first and second with redshirt junior DH Blake Binderup and junior catcher Bear Harrison. A two-out headstart and an infield single from freshman shortstop Boston Kellner was all it took for Binderup to round the bases for the first run of the game. 

Grahovac, back to the plate for the second time in as many innings, smashed a 405-foot three-run homer to deep center, clearing the bases for his third home run of the series, increasing the Aggies’ lead, 4-0. 

A quick bottom of the second aided by a clean 4-6-3 double-play sent the Aggies back to the plate, silencing the Tigers through two. 

An exchange for its third pitcher of the game in the third, following a two-run homerun from Binderup, put graduate student LHP Ian Lohse on the mound. However, a short infield single and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on through two pitches. Five pitches later, a walk to Kellner loaded the bases with the Aggies looking to do some damage with only one out. 

Grahovac was able to make contact when it mattered most, launching his second home run of the game for a grand slam to give the Fightin’ Farmers a 10-0 lead. And if Grahovac wasn’t going to capitalize junior center fielder Caden Sorrell was, as he put one of his own past the right field wall to extend the lead, 11-0. 

Finally, in the bottom of the third the Tigers had something to respond with to the total offensive dominance of the Aggies. For only his third home run of the season, junior SS Kam Durnin hit a solo homer to wipe Missouri’s egg off the scoreboard. 

Similar to the previous three innings, a new inning meant a new Tiger pitcher. But finally, a dart thrown at the bullpen stuck, as sophomore RHP Trey Lawrence controlled back-to-back scoreless frames with three strikeouts while stranding three runners. 

Sims gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to graduate student 1B Jase Woita, fighting back against the potential run-rule defeat, closing the gap, 11-3. 

Despite the efforts of Lawrence, Missouri head coach Kerrick Jackson called to the bullpen yet again, but the decision came with a bite as the Aggie bats had been begging for something different. Wasting no time at all was Binderup, with a double followed by an infield single from freshman right fielder Jorian Wilson that set up Harrison for an RBI single to give the Aggies another run on the board. 

Back-to-back singles in the bottom of the sixth wrapped up Sims’ outing after 102 pitches, the second most in his career, earning all three Tiger runs while striking out five in 5.1 innings of work. Junior RHP Juan Vargas was able to put away the third out stranding three runs on board, two of which fell under Sims’ responsibility.

The seventh inning opened up with A&M looking for insurance to claim the run-rule feat. Senior left fielder Jake Duer dipped into the home run party with a two-run homer of his own, plating junior second baseman Chris Hacopian and extending the Aggies’ lead 14-3 and putting them back in run-rule territory.  

Senior LHP Ethan Darden was handed the ball in hopes to close out the game early after seven. The Clemson transfer did just that with an 1-2-3 inning to solidify the 14-3 run-rule victory over Missouri. 

A&M gets back to the diamond on Tuesday, March 31, for a midweek matchup against Sam Houston at 6 p.m. in College Station.