Credit to Ben Rikard | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies fell, 13-5, to No. 6 Stanford in the first game of the Stanford Regional championship on Sunday night at Sunken Diamond.
The loss sets up a winner-take-all game on Monday to advance to the Super Regional round next week against the Texas Longhorns.
After Stanford opened the game with a two-run first, Texas A&M responded with two home runs hit by Jace LaViolette and Ryan Targac to take the lead, but that was quickly tarnished as the Cardinal put up four runs across in the top half to go ahead 6-4.
Despite scratching a run across in the sixth, the seventh-inning rally put together by Stanford put the Cardinal out of reach of the Aggies
Austin Bost’s first hit of the night was his 200th base hit of his career, making him the first Aggie since Braden Shewmake in 2019 to reach this threshold.
Jace LaViolette extended his freshman home run record to 20 with a three-run longball over the center field wall. Both Brett Minnich and Ryan Targac tallied a home run making them the fourth and fifth in the Maroon & White to record double digits in home runs this season.
Chris Cortez made his longest relief appearance of the year with 4.1 innings of work, allowing three earned runs and tallying three strikeouts.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Jace LaViolette – 1-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB
Brett Minnich – 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB
Trevor Werner – 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
UP NEXT
The Aggies will take on the Cardinal in the Stanford Regional championship game at 8 p.m. CT at Sunken Diamond.
GAME SUMMARY
T1| STAN 2, A&M 0
Eddie Park leadoff the game with a single and went to second on a single hit by Tommy Troy. Carter Graham doubled to left center to compile two runs for the Cardinal.
B1| A&M 4, STAN 2
With no outs, Jack Moss reached on a fielder’s choice and hustled to third on a Trevor Werner single through the middle. Jace LaViolette cranked a dinger over the center field wall. Ryan Targac followed with his own solo home run to right field.
T2| STAN 6, A&M 4
Saborn Campbell reached on a fielder’s choice and Park singled up the middle to advance Campbell to third. Troy walked to load the bases. After a pitching change made by the Aggies, Graham doubled to left center and made it home on a Braden Montgomery double down the left field line.
B6| STAN 6, A&M 5
Brett Minnich hit a leadoff solo home run to right center.
T7| STAN 13, A&M 5
Montgomery hit an infield single and scored on a Alberto Rios double. Malcolm Moore hit a home run to bring both home. The Cardinal loaded the bases and Troy hit a grand slam to rack up four RBI.