Friday saw a pitchers’ duel; Saturday saw ejections and frustrations from Texas A&M baseball after losing the series against No. 1 Texas in Game 2. Both ended in one-run losses for the Aggies, with the Longhorns now looking for a sweep on Sunday.
Saturday’s 3-2 loss resulted in a late-ninth inning push that proved fruitless against the Longhorns as they left UFCU Disch-Falk Field displaying high emotions.
Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh, some remarkable words were exchanged between Texas’ sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino and senior pinch hitter Gavin Kash, leading to the ejection of the Fightin’ Farmer. Earley pleaded his case furiously to the umpires alongside some colorful commentary from the man who wears No. 12, senior PH Hayden Schott.
“People trying to do too much,” coach Michael Earley said in response to the ejection. “I’ve never seen a guy hit a fly ball and turn back and look at a dugout. Ridiculous. It was instigated by their center fielder, our coach heard it, somehow he [Kash] just, out of nowhere, flies out to left field and starts talking to the dugout.”
Freshman right fielder Terrence Kiel got the Aggies off to a quick start as the lead-off hitter with a double to left field, making his way home after the ‘Horns’ gave up a sacrifice fly ball from senior third baseman Wyatt Henseler
Junior right handed-pitcher Lamkin received the nod to start in the second bout and did not disappoint. The Corpus Christi, Texas, native struck out two in his first trip, sending the Longhorn batters packing. He finished his night on a high note with eight strikeouts, two runs and four hits given up throughout his five innings.
In similar fashion, Texas junior left-handed pitcher Luke Harrison made his presence known by throwing two of his own strikeouts and a flyout.
A promising third inning was kicked off by Royo with a single before junior CF Jace LaViolette was hit by pitch. However, Harrison ended any momentum by delivering a strikeout to Henseler after the defense provided him with a double play.
Texas responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the third, courtesy of sophomore designated hitter Ethan Mendoza, who had yet to record a homer since March 4.
After the equalizing run, sophomore catcher Bear Harrison was walked by Harrison, and sophomore first baseman Blake Binderup doubled to left field. Hope once again fleeted the Aggies as Harrison struck out his fourth and fifth batters to end the offensive push.
“I thought we hit some balls well,” Earley said. “We just didn’t get anything to drop, but in order to get things to drop, you got to hit more balls well. You lower your odds by not doing it consistently.”
Senior 1B Kimble Schuessler earned the second hit for the Longhorns with a single to right field, but Lamkin shut them down cold with his seventh strikeout to end the fourth inning.
Bats heated up on Texas’ side with sparks coming from a single by freshman left fielder Adrian Rodriquez and Mendoza’s single to shortstop. But flames faded into ashes as Lamkin silenced the crowd in Disch-Falk with another strikeout to send the game into the sixth inning still tied.
After putting a batter on with his second thrown walk, Lamkin’s reign would end as Earley swapped him for sophomore RHP Luke Jackson.
Unfortunately for Jackson, Earley’s mind would change in exactly four pitches as Jackson headed back for the dugout after facing just one batter, walking him by means of an error stemming from a failed attempt at a pickoff.
Woes continued for the Aggie defense after the new captain on the mound, sophomore LHP Kaiden Wilson, gave up a run off of a missed ball by Henseler at third, allowing junior shortstop Jalin Flores to score unearned, 2-1 Texas.
Then the ejection hit the stands in the seventh with a wave of cheers and boos. After the confusion and time-consuming stop, the Horns resumed their terror with back-to-back hits on Wilson, ultimately finding success with Mendoza’s double to deep center field for a single RBI, Texas 3-0.
The Maroon and White bats to lead off the eighth showed promise after Kiel doubled to center and LaViolette found first on a walk, however sophomore RHP Thomas Burns brushed off the late-game push with two closing strikeouts to send the Farmers back out to defend.
Despite leaving the inning with two on base, Wilson would record four strikeouts and give up a run throughout the 2.2 innings he pitched.
One last chance. The Aggies loaded the bases for a last-moment push in the top of the ninth after Texas’ reliever and junior RHP Max Grubbs walked two, allowing Royo to ground out and push everyone along the path.
Grubbs’ time would end as freshman LHP Dylan Volantis took up the mantle following coach Jim Schlossnagle’s decision to pivot.
Pinch hitting for freshman LF Sawyer Farr, Schott sent one of the two runs needed to tie the game but was followed by Kiel who proceeded to strikeout facing Volantis, ending the game with a one-run margin, 3-2.
“Every loss stinks,” Earley said. “Every loss is like you’re ripping my heart out of my chest and all these players. But we’re gonna, you know, we’re gonna come back out tomorrow and we’re gonna salvage this thing.”
Next, A&M will fight Texas one last time for a chance to avoid a sweep at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
