COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies improved to 8-0 on the season Tuesday evening as they scratched out a 4-1 win over the Houston Baptist Huskies on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
The victory continued A&M’s best start since 2006 when the Aggies won their first 10 games to start the year.
The Texas A&M bullpen retired 11 of the 12 batters it faced in 3.2 innings of work. Jason Freeman (2-0) earned the win in relief. The senior entered a tie game with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth inning and induced a line out and closed out the frame with a strikeout. He worked 1.0 inning with one strikeout. Ty Schlottmann retired both batters he faced, including one strikeout and Andrew Vinson struck out one of his three batters in the eighth inning. Ryan Hendrix earned his first career save, allowing one hit and fanning out one in 1.0 innings.
Turner Larkins was solid in his start, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out two in 5.1 innings.
The Aggies gave up a run in the first inning for just the second time in 2015. Thomas Clay started the inning with an infield single to second base for Houston Baptist (5-3). Clay moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Louie Payetta and after Curtis Jones struck out for the second out of the inning, Samm Wiggins slapped a single up the middle to stake the Huskies to a 1-0 lead.
Texas A&M knotted the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Banks was the catalyst of the rally with a leadoff single up the middle. Logan Nottebrok followed by bouncing a single over the head of the Houston Baptist third baseman to put runners at the corners. Banks came around to score the equalizer when Blake Kopetsky grounded into a double play, tying the score at 1-1.
After having the potential go-ahead runner thrown out at the plate on a double by JB Moss in the fifth, the Aggies finally claimed their first lead of the game in the sixth. Ryne Birk started the frame by dropping a double in front of a diving Houston Baptist rightfielder. Banks singled through the left side of the infield to put runners on the corners. Birk scored the go-ahead run on a groundout to short by Nottebrok. Kopetsky plated Banks with a gapper to right centerfield for a double, giving the Aggies a 3-1 lead.
Texas A&M tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Notterbrok was domed with a pitch to start the inning. He was replaced at first base by pinch-runner Nick Choruby who stole second base. Kopetsky drew a seven-pitch walk and a bunt single by Logan Taylor filled the bags with Ags. Blake Allemand was unable to plate a runner as his grounder to second allowed HBU to retire Choruby at home. Hunter Melton followed with a sacrifice fly to leftfield to drive in Kopetsky for the 4-1 margin.
The Aggies registered 11 hits, reaching double digits in the hits column for the seventh time in eight games. Banks went 2-for-3 with two runs. Birk hit 2-for-4 with one run and one double. Michael Barash also added two hits.
Curtis Jones (0-1) was saddled with the loss for HBU, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out two over 5.1 innings.
Clay, Payetta and Zach Nehrir each logged two hits for Houston Baptist. Clay went 2-for-5 with one run and one stolen base. Payetta hit 2-for-3 with one sacrifice bunt. Nehrir slugged 2-for-4 with one triple and one stolen base.
The Aggies return to action Wednesday when they host the Incarnate Word Cardinals in a 6:35 pm contest on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.