Story by Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
COLUMBIA, Missouri – Texas A&M baseball was haunted by a Missouri’s five-run sixth inning in Saturday’s 7-3 loss to the Tigers in the rubber match at Taylor Stadium.
For the second straight day, the Aggies claimed the early lead, but were unable to answer Missouri’s rallies as the game progressed. Texas A&M led 3-2 after four innings, behind a pair of Ryan Targac home runs, but Tigers pounced with five runs in the sixth.
Aggie starting pitcher Chris Weber (1-1) was saddled with the loss. He battled through 5.1 innings, yielding four runs, three earned on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Aggie starting pitcher Jonathan Childress (2-3) labored through 3.0 innings plus two batters and was saddled with the loss, yielding four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one. Chandler Jozwiak was unable to stem the tide, yielding four runs, three earned, in 4.0 innings. Alex Magers faced three batters and got three outs in the ninth.
The Maroon & White out-hit the Tigers 9-8 but were doomed by batting 1-for-16 with runners on base.
Texas A&M dropped to 19-11 overall and 3-6 in the SEC. Missouri improved to 10-17 overall and 3-6 in league action.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMER
Ryan Targac – 2-for-3, 2 solo home runs
Ray Alejo – 3-for-5, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 run.
Joseph Menefee – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 Pickoff
GAME SUMMARY
T1 | With one out, Ray Alejo hit a wall-banger over the rightfielder’s head for a triple and scored on Will Frizzell’s sacrifice fly to leftfield. A&M 1, MU 0.
T2 | With one out, Ryan Targac drove a 1-2 offering over the fence in right-center for a solo home run. A&M 2, MU 0.
B3 | Missouri used a trio of Punch & Judy hits to knot the game. Ty Wilmsmeyer blooped a leadoff single to centerfield and stole second base. Mark Vierling reached on a single in the hole to short, but Wilmsmeyer was stuck at second. Brandt Belk hit a ball that kicked up in their air off of first base into no-man’s land down the rightfield line for an RBI double. The scoring capped off with Andrew Keefer dribbling a single to short, plating Vierling. A&M 2, MU 2.
T4 | With one out, Targac fought off strike three twice with foul balls before hammering the eighth pitch of the at-bat over the rightfield fence for his second home run of the game. A&M 3, MU 2.
B6 | An error at shortstop and a ball lost in the sun in rightfield put Cameron Swanger and Garrett Rice aboard for Missouri to start the frame. Tre Morris pushed both runners in to scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Aggies starter Chris Weber was relieved on the mound by Alex Magers. Magers hit the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Dalton McNamara to load the bases. Wilmsmeyer slapped a ball the opposite way to plate Swanger and pinch-runner Ross Lovich with the tying and go-ahead runs. After McNamara was thrown out at home on an attempted double steal, Vierling was issued an intentional walk to put two runners on base. Torin Montgomery put Missouri in control with a three-run home run. MU 7, A&M 3.
UP NEXT
The Aggies travel down Highway 30 on Tuesday for 6:30 p.m. contest against the Sam Houston State Bearkats