AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies got the tying run to third in the top of the ninth, but couldn’t push it a cross in a 4-3 loss to the Texas Longhorns at UFCU Disch-Falk Field Tuesday evening.
The ninth inning started with Austin Homan drawing a seven-pitch walk off Beau Ridgeway. Blake Kopetsky put down a sacrifice bunt to push the tying run into scoring position. Ridgeway was lifted for Chase Shugart. He induced a groundout to short by Logan Foster which moved Homan to third. Braden Shewmake followed with a chopper to short and his head first slide into first base came a fraction of a second after the ball arrived, ending the game in defeat.
The Aggies drew first blood in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Shewmake rattled a ball into the corner down the rightfield line for a double. Shewmake advanced a base when Longhorns’ third baseman Ryan Reynolds dropped the ball on a tag attempt off a Joel Davis grounder to short. A balk by Texas starter Nick Kennedy plated Shewmake to give the Maroon and White a 1-0 edge.
The Longhorns responded with three runs in the home half of the fourth. David Hamilton started the frame with a five-pitch walk and he moved to second on a balk. Kacy Clemens punched a single into centerfield to plate Hamilton with the equalizer and scampered to second on the throw home. Austin Todd put a well-placed bunt down the third base line for a single and a throwing error by Aggie third baseman Jorge Gutierrez allowed Clemens to score the go-ahead run. A sacrifice bunt by Bret Boswell moved Todd to third and he came home to score when Michael McCann singled through the left side of the infield, staking the Longhorns to a 3-1 lead.
A couple of Aggie errors allowed Texas to tack on an insurance run in the fifth. Travis Jones slapped a leadoff single to rightfield to start the inning and stole second base. An error on a pickoff attempt at second allowed Jones to move to third and with one out a muffed pickoff attempt of Clemens, who reached on a walk, pushed Jones across for the 4-1 lead.
Texas A&M cut the Longhorns’ advantage to one run in the top of the eighth. Foster drew a walk and Shewmake poked a single through the left side of the infield to start the frame. Davis was issued a base on balls to fill the bags with Ags and Cam Blake followed with a pinch-hit walk to send Foster home. Tim Lichty cut the lead to 4-3 with a grounder to third that Texas was unable to turn the double play on. With an opportunity to tie the game, Nick Choruby put down a squeeze bunt, but Davis was retired at home. Cole Bedford popped up to the third baseman to end the rally.
Shewmake accounted for three of the Aggies’ four hits, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one walk and two runs.
Nick Kennedy (3-0) earned the victory for Texas. He allowed one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out six in 5.0 innings. Shugart picked up his second save of the season, retiring both batters he faced.
John Doxakis was saddled with the loss for Texas A&M. He yielded three runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks while striking out two in 3.1 innings.
Texas A&M returns to action Friday when they host the Kentucky Wildcats at 6:02 pm to open up SEC play.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Rob Childress
On the difference in the game…
“At the end of the night, it came down to – they fielded the ball and we didn’t. You have to take care of the ball in close games and against good teams. We had the lead and then we made errors to give the lead back.”
On John Doxakis‘ outing…
“I thought he pitched better. We gave him some rest this weekend and he looked sharper today. He looked really good for the first three innings. He walked the leadoff guy in the fourth and then things unraveled on the defensively.”
Freshman LHP John Doxakis
On his outing…
“I knew coming in I had to throw strikes and give our defense a chance. But it wasn’t our day. That’s something we’ll fix.”
On the postgame talk from the coaches…
“The talk wasn’t any different than our other losses. Even when we win, if we’re doing something wrong, the coaches let us know. We did some things wrong and there’s some things we have to fix going into an SEC weekend.”
Freshman INF Braden Shewmake
On the defensive miscues…
“I think we lost focus that inning. It wasn’t one person. It was everybody as a whole. We have to take care of the ball.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics