Bubble bash for the Aggies

Texas A&M baseball destroyed South Carolina on the second day of its three-game series with a 17-0 win, partly by sophomore catcher Bear Harrison, who recorded a career high seven RBIs and a monster grand slam in the fifth. 

“I have so much confidence up there right now,” Harrison said. “I feel like nothing can beat me.”

Junior left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin received the nod to start on the mound and did not disappoint, going six innings, recording five strikeouts and only allowing three hits. 

“The change-up was working for me,” Lamkin said. “They just felt really good today and generated a lot of swing and miss and [I] was able to get guys out with it.”

A base hit from freshman right-fielder Terrence Kiel II was all the Aggies needed to spark a first inning full of offense. A couple of mistakes from South Carolina’s senior left-handed pitcher Matthew Becker loaded the bases for A&M with no outs.

After the bases were loaded and there was no room for a South Carolina error, another hit batter sent Kiel to home and gave the Aggies an easy run to put them on the board first. A base hit up the middle from junior shortstop Kaeden Kent drove in two more Aggies for a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The Aggies gained another easy base runner in the third after Harrison was struck for the second time, which sent  Kent to the plate to do some damage. The A&M athletic legacy, who has been struggling in Southeastern Conference play with a  batting average of  .135, sent one deep to right field for his eighth home run of the season. 

The Gamecocks searched for an answer in freshman right-handed pitcher Cooper Parks, but he walked three and loaded the bases for Harrison, who leads the Aggies with a .394 average in conference play. With the intensity of the 12th Man, Harrison was able to draw in two RBIs, pushing the Aggies to an 8-0 lead.

The bottom of the fifth was a fun one at Olsen Field, ending with the Aggies recording seven runs off of only three hits. After loading the bases with no outs, Parks was pulled from the game and replaced by senior RHP Roman Kimball, who opened up the game for the Maroon and White.

Although they had no room for error, the Gamecocks committed crucial mistakes that gave the Aggies momentum. A couple of wild pitches sent two Aggies home for two easy runs, and in the blink of an eye, the bases were loaded again with none other than Harrison.

 

“It was two strikes. I was refusing to strike out,” Harrison said. “…It was a little low, but I kind of just golfed it out. I like the low pitches and I kind of knew off the bat that it was going to be gone.”

The party didn’t stop there for the Aggies as they recorded back-to-back hits to lead off the sixth inning before fan-favorite, senior pinch-hitter Hayden Schott came up to bat. Schott felt the 12th Man fuel him as he doubled down the left field line, adding another run to the board.

After run-ruling the Gamecocks, the Aggies have won the series and are back in action to clinch the sweep on Saturday, April 12, for the series finale at 2 p.m.