After finally earning a much-needed conference win on Sunday, Texas A&M found two more items else it desperately needed: quality production from its seniors and bullpen.
And that’s exactly what the Aggies (17-9) got Tuesday night in a 9-3 win over Texas State (16-9) at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos.
In total, A&M’s senior quartet went 8-for-15 at the plate on the evening, driving in six runs.
A&M posted four runs in the sixth inning, using the explosive frame to take command of the lead and game.
Joel Davis punched a single through the left side of the infield to score Nick Choruby from second, cutting the Bobcats’ lead to one. Two batters later, Blake Kopetsky worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Braden Shewmake, tying the game at three.
Austin Homan tacked on two more on the next at-bat, dropping a bloop single in the middle of three fielders in left field to bring home Davis and Cole Bedford.
The Aggies added insurance in the eighth with another crooked number.
Davis reached base on a one-out walk and soon stood 90 feet from home after stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch. Bedford then put down a slow grounder to the pitcher down the first base line, forcing Texas State to take the out and scoring Davis.
On the next at-bat, Kopetsky brought home another run after lining a double towards the right field foul pole to score George Janca from second.
In the ninth, A&M tallied another pair of runs. Coll Stanley blasted a lead-off double over the centerfielder’s head, scoring on the next batter after Logan Foster dribbled a grounder through the middle of the infield.
Braden Shewmake finally got his shining moment of the night two batters later, roping a double to the right field corner to bring home Nick Choruby, who wheeled all the way around from first.
A&M’s bullpen was superb with Cason Sherrod and Mitchell Kilkenny combining for just one hit and four total base runners in five innings of relief.
Theodore Hoffman took it upon himself to establish a lead early on for Texas State.
The right fielder hit a grounder to third in the bottom of the first, but George Janca was unable to make a play at the plate, electing to throw Hoffman out at first. The fielder’s choice allowed Jonathan Ortega to score from third to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
Hoffman extended Texas State’s lead in the third, blasting a two-run home run well over the left field fence to make it 3-0 in favor of the Bobcats.
Nick Choruby cut into the lead in the top of the fourth, sending the first pitch of the inning just over the right centerfield fence for a solo home run.
A&M returns to action this Thursday as it travels to face LSU. First pitch for game one of the series is set for 6:00 p.m. and will be aired on the SEC Network.
