Story by Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
COLUMBIA, Missouri – The Texas A&M Aggies scored two runs in each of the first three frames and busted the game open with a nine-run sixth to cruise to a 16-2 victory over the Missouri Tigers in Thursday evening’s series opener at Taylor Stadium.
Texas A&M’s offensive arsenal featured 13 hits, including four doubles and one triple, and 12 walks. Every starter chalked up a hit for the Maroon & White. The Aggies batted .393 (11-for-28) with runners on and .400 (8-for-20) with runners in scoring position.
Ray Alejo paced the offense, hitting 3-for-5 with three doubles, three runs, three RBI and one stolen base. Will Frizzell hit 2-for-3 with one walk and three runs. Bryce Blaum batted 1-for-3 with three walks, one double, three runs and one RBI. Austin Bost, Ty Coleman and Kalae Harrison each logged two RBI.
Aggie starting pitcher Dustin Saenz (5-2) was stellar in 7.0 scoreless innings, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out 10. Kobe Andrade surrendered the lone runs to Missouri, two in the eighth inning. Wyatt Tucker fanned two of four batters he faced in a blank ninth frame.
It marked the second-most runs scored by the Aggies in an SEC game, one shy of the 17-5 effort at Kentucky on March 24, 2019. The 14-run margin equaled Texas A&M’s largest in an SEC game, matching a 15-1 win against Georgia on April 9, 2016.
Texas A&M improved to 19-9 overall and 3-4 in the SEC. Missouri dropped to 8-17 overall and 1-6 in league action.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Dustin Saenz (Win) – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K
Ray Alejo – 3-for-5, 3 doubles, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 1 stolen base
Will Frizzell – 2-for-3, 1 walk, 3 runs
Bryce Blaum – 1-for-3, 3 walks, 3 runs, one double, one RBI
GAME SUMMARY
T1 | With one out, Will Frizzell worked a five-pitch walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a grounder by Austin Bost. Ty Coleman punched a single up the middle to plate Frizzell. Ryan Targac hit a gapper to right-center to put runners on the corners and Ray Alejo knocked in Coleman with a double to rightfield. A&M 2, MU 0.
T2 | With two outs, Bryce Blaum drew a six-pitch walk and Frizzell followed with a single through the left side. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position and they scored when Missouri’s third baseman misplayed a grounder by Austin Bost. A&M 4, MU 0.
T3 | With one out, Alejo deposited a double down the rightfield line and stole third base. Logan Britt plated Alejo with a single to leftfield and stole second base. Mikey Hoehner grounded to short, but ended up at third base when Britt was caught in a pickle between third and home. Kalae Harrison threaded a single through the right side to knock in Hoehner. A&M 6, MU 0.
T5 | Ryan Targac drew a leadoff, four-pitch walk and was replaced at first by Alejo who grounded into a fielder’s choice. After Britt struck out looking, Hoehner rattled a triple in the corner down the rightfield line to knock in Targac. A&M 7, MU 0.
T6 | Blaum hit a wall-banger to left-center for a leadoff double. Frizzell singled to centerfield and Bost drew a leadoff walk to fill the bags with Ags. Ty Coleman drew and walk and Targac was hit by a pitch to plate two runs. Alejo threaded a double down the leftfield line to knock in two more runs. With one out, Hoehner drew a walk to reload the bases. A Harrison single to leftfield and a Blaum walk pushed the inning run total to a half dozen. With two outs, Bost drove in two with a single to left-center. Ty Coleman drew a walk to saturate the base paths again and a wild pitch brought Blaum home. A&M 16, MU 0.
B8 | Ty Wilmsmeyer was issued a base on balls to start the frame and scored on double to left-center by Mark Vierling. With two outs Vierling moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Andrew Keefer punched a single through the left side. A&M 16, MU 2.
UP NEXT
The teams meet in game two of the series Friday at 6:32 p.m.