COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 20 Texas A&M won their second series of the season after a trio of home runs and 15 hits helped the Aggies down the Pepperdine Waves, 10-6, Sunday afternoon on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Texas A&M (6-1) kick-started their offense in the home half of the first inning after Logan Foster tallied his first home run of the season. The newcomer hit a first-pitch, solo homer to put the Aggies on top 1-0.
Pepperdine (4-2) immediately responded in the top of the second by putting a runner in scoring position after a triple to right center from Ben Rodriguez. Austin Bernard tied the score with a RBI single up the middle.
The Aggies regained the lead in the bottom of the third. Nick Choruby advanced to first on a walk before stealing second base. With two outs, Braden Shewmake delivered his tenth RBI of the season on a double to center field bringing in Choruby.
The Waves once again knotted the game in the fifth. Jeremy Goldenetz singled to left center and later advanced to third after Quincy McAfee doubled down the left field line. A wild pitch from Kaylor Chafin plated Goldenetz with the equalizer.
Texas A&M extended their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. A full count walk put Foster on first before Shewmake crushed a two RBI, career first home run over the right field fence.
Texas A&M added an insurance run in the sixth to give them a 5-2 advantage. Blake Kopetsky singled up the middle before advancing to second off of a sacrifice bunt from Cole Bedford. A pickoff throwing error to second base by Easton Lucas allowed Kopetsky to round third and add to the Aggies’ lead.
In the seventh, the Aggies tacked on three additional runs. Walker Pennington reached first on a fielder’s choice, later stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by Rodriguez. Joel Davis singled to the left side to score Pennington. Kopetsky followed suit with a single up the middle and a two RBI double from Bedford brought Davis and Kopetsky to the plate, putting Texas A&M on top, 8-2
Pepperdine battled back in the eighth adding four runs to the board. A pair of doubles from Aaron Barnett and Jordan Qsar opened the inning for the Waves, with Qsar scoring Barnett. Rodriguez later singled to third base before Brandon Caruso hit a three-run bomb to left field to pull Pepperdine within two runs of the Aggies, 8-6.
The Maroon and White secured the game in the eighth after Foster recorded his second homer of the game with a bomb to the scoreboard. A single from Davis later scored Shewmake and gave the Aggies their final 10-6 score.
Mitchell Kilkenny notched his second start of the season and allowed one run on five hits, while walking two and striking out three in 4.1 innings. Chafin (1-0) earned the win for the Aggies after recording a season-high five strikeouts in 11 batters faced in 3.0 innings.
Wil Jensen (0-1) was loaded with the loss after yielding four runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out five in 5.0 innings.
Shewmake went a career record 5-for-5 from the plate. Kopetsky tallied three hits, while Bedford, Davis and Foster each recorded a pair of hits. Rodriguez and McAfee each had two hits apiece for the Waves.
Texas A&M returns to action on Tuesday when the Aggies host Prairie View A&M in a 6:30 pm midweek contest on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress
Aggie OF Blake Kopetsky
Aggie IF Braden Shewmake
Aggie OF Logan Foster
Aggie LHP Kaylor Chafin
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics