COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies dropped the opener of a three-game set with the Auburn Tigers, 2-1, Friday night on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Auburn (24-8, 8-2) opened the scoring with a couple runs in the third off Aggie starter Brigham Hill (5-3). After Dylan Ingram slapped a leadoff single to centerfield, he was replaced at first base by Damon Haecker when the Aggies came a whisker away from completing the 6-4-3 double play on Haecker’s grounder. Will Holland followed with a chopper that went inches over the glove of a leaping George Janca for a single to put two on. Jay Estes snuck a double down the left field line scoring two. Hill limited the damage inducing a 4-6-3 double play.
The Aggies (21-10, 3-7) threatened in the seventh putting Joel Davis on with a walks and Hunter Coleman reaching on a single. Walker Pennington was inches away from tying the game when he roped a ball down the leftfield line, but landed a smidge on the foul side and he ended the at-bat with a strikeout. Again in the eighth, the Aggies put a couple runners on but couldn’t bring anyone home.
Davis got the Aggie faithful juiced with a solo shot to begin the ninth, but a complete rally never materialized as Auburn’s Andrew Mitchell closed it out for the save.
Casey Mize (5-1) got his eighth start of the season on the mound for Tigers. Mize had the Aggies’ number pitching seven scoreless innings and fanning a dozen.
Hill pitched 6.0 innings only allowing the two third-inning runs. He struck out eight and allowed five hits before he was relieved by Cason Sherrod. Sherrod didn’t allow a run in 3.0 innings behind a couple strikeouts.
The two squads will be back out for the middle game of the series at 3:00 on Saturday before wrapping up the set with a 1:00 first pitch on Sunday.
Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress
Aggie 1B Joel Davis
Aggie RHP Brigham Hill