No. 12 Texas A&M baseball welcomed Texas State to Blue Bell Park on Tuesday as they looked to get back on track after losing a series to LSU last weekend. However, the Bobcats started hot, scoring five runs in the first inning and ultimately taking the win 5-3.
With the loss, the Aggies fall to a 25-9-1overall record and 7-4-1 in SEC play, while the Bobcats improve to 21-12 on the season and 7-5 in Sun Belt.
Sophomore lefty Dustin Saenz got the start on the mound for A&M after a stellar performance against Texas last week. Saenz retired one batter before the Bobcats loaded the bases and forced Saenz to balk — an illegal move by the pitcher to deceive the runners on base which results in runners advancing to the next base — allowing the first run of the game.
Saenz then walked the next batter to load the bases again before Texas State’s sophomore outfielder John Wuthrich smacked a grand slam over the left field wall.
“It was disappointing in the first inning,” A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “We loaded the bases with nobody out and had our four, five and sixth batters up and couldn’t cash in one run. Then there again in the seventh, we had runners on second and third with our clean up hitters up and we couldn’t manage to scratch a run.”
The four runs the Bobcats scored from the grand slam scored in the top of the first would eventually give them the win over the Aggies.
“[Saenz] looked pretty good in the bullpen,” junior catcher Mikey Hoehner said. “I think a couple of fastballs just got away from him. He didn’t hit a couple of spots and it just didn’t work out for him. He never really got the wheels turning and that’s what happens when you face a team like that.”
A&M took a chunk out of Texas State’s lead in the bottom of the fourth. The three-run inning started with sophomore Aaron Walters singling to score freshman Joseph Menefee from third. Then sophomore Bryce Blaum hit a sac-fly to center to score the second run before senior Chandler Morris drove in Walters with a single.
Similar to Texas State, the Aggies would begin and finish their scoring in the fourth.
A&M’s bullpen kept the Aggies alive after Texas State jumped out early, remaining dominant throughout the innings with appearances from seven different pitchers. The bullpen combined for 8.2 shutout innings, gave up just four hits and struck out 12 Bobcat hitters.
Childress said the pitching performance stepped up to the challenge, despite the lack of offensive power.
“We had a heroic performance out of the rest of the guys,” Childress said. “Everybody else toed the rope, but we couldn’t get those guys in the game fast enough.”
The Aggies will be back in action this weekend as they face No. 19 Auburn Tigers for another SEC series. Game one is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday.