For the second time this season, Aggie baseball needed extra innings to decide a contest. And for the second time this year, ‘Olsen Magic’ made an appearance in extra innings.
A pitcher’s duel took place on the mound between both squads, but Walker Pennington’s walk-off double in the bottom of the tenth gave A&M the 4-3 come-from-behind win Saturday afternoon.
“We just have an awful lot of toughness,” A&M coach Rob Childress said. “We have an older group that believes. They have done this an awful lot so they know it is in them.”
After both teams struggled to produce anything for the first few innings, the Bulldogs (11-4) finally got to freshman starting pitcher Tyler Ivey in the fourth inning. Following a walk and a double, McCarthy Tatum looped a two-run single to shallow left field that gave Fresno State a 2-0 lead after four innings. They were the first runs Ivey has surrendered all season.
The Aggie bats sputtered, going 6-for-19 with runners on base, until they finally put a run across in the sixth. With runners on the corners, Ryne Birk delivered a slap-shot RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1 following six.
The Aggies (14-1) finally knotted things up in the seventh. J.B. Moss reached on a catcher’s interference, Jonathan Moroney singled and Boomer White was hit by a pitch and that set up Hunter Melton. He lifted a sacrifice fly deep to center for an RBI that tied the game 2-2 through seven innings.
Overall, Ivey was outstanding on the mound for A&M. He worked a full seven innings, allowing two earned runs on just three hits and struck out 12 Bulldog hitters.
“Everything felt good,” Ivey said. “That is the way baseball goes sometimes…everything felt good and I am glad we got the win today… [working ahead in the count] was key.”
Brigham Hill entered for two innings of relief and allowed no hits. Mark Ecker and Ty Schlottmann finished the game off with Schlottmann earning his first win of the season.
“[Ivey] was really good,” Childress said. “Probably the best he has been all year long…he continues to get better. He was on full rest and I thought he was very sharp today.”
All-in-all, the pitching staff struck out 14 and it was their 10^th consecutive game with 10 or more strikeouts.
The two rode the stalemate to the ninth. Fresno state’s Aaron Arruda blasted what looked to be the potential game-winning home run down the left field line but was called foul. He would ground out to end the top half, however, A&M didn’t produce in the home half and the two ventured into extra innings.
It did not take long for the Bulldogs to tally a run in the extra frame. With two on and two outs, Jesse Medrano placed a single into right. Moss collected it and threw a laser to home plate, but the runner just barely beat the throw to give Fresno State the 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the tenth is when the magic happened.
Nick Banks and Melton drew one-out walks to put two on. Michael Barash popped a sacrifice fly to right which allowed Melton to tag up and reach third.
Down to their last out, Birk tied the game with a single. His slap to the right side deflected off the glove of the first baseman, the second baseman failed to corral the ball and Melton crossed the plate to make it a 3-3 ballgame.
“You always hear stories about [Olsen Magic] but being a part of it is pretty special,” Birk said.
One batter later, Walker Pennington became the hero for the Aggies. He took a ball for a ride to right-center for a double over the head of the outfielder and A&M walked-off with a 4-3 win.
“I have been through a lot of work. Luckily, everything worked out and I got an opportunity to deliver…we have so many good guys,” Pennington said. “It seems like every time someone comes off the bench, they deliver. Luckily, I got called on today.”
The win clinches the series for A&M. They will be attempting to sweep the Bulldogs Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.