COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies dropped a 5-3 decision in 14 innings to the Tennessee Volunteers in the series finale Sunday afternoon on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
The Volunteers scored the winning run in the 14th with a single by Luc Lipcius and they tacked on an insurance run when Pete Derkay drew a bases-loaded walk.
Texas A&M (28-13, 10-8 SEC) manufactured a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Hunter Coleman reached base via an error by the shortstop to start the frame and Joel Davis followed with a five-pitch walk. George Janca put down a bunt for a single to fill the bags with Ags. Blake Kopetsky plated a run with a fielder’s choice grounder to second and Austin Homan pushed one across with a safety squeeze, staking the Aggies to a 2-0 lead.
Tennessee (20-17, 5-13 SEC) used back-to-back two-out doubles by Andre Lipcius and Derkay to shave a run off the Aggies’ margin in the top of the fourth.
The Aggies tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Nick Choruby put down a bunt single and moved second on a throwing error. Logan Foster followed with a base on ball and Braden Shewmake bounced a single up the middle to give the Aggies a 3-1 lead.
The Maroon and White let the lead slip away in the top of the eighth. Aggie starter Stephen Kolek hit Matt Waldren with a 2-0 pitch to start the inning. Cason Sherrod relieved Kolek on the mound and surrendered a single to rightfield by Jeff Moberg. Justin Ammons pushed both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Jordan Rodgers followed with a double down the leftfield line, knocking in both runs and tying the score at 3-3.
Texas A&M was unable to convert on multiple opportunities to pad the lead or score in extra innings, stranding 15 runners. The Aggies loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but were unable to push a run across.
Both starting pitchers were left with no-decision despite strong performances. Texas A&M’s Kolek recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts. He allowed two runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batsmen in 7.0 innings. Tennessee’s Zach Warren yielded, three runs, one earned on seven hits and four walks while striking out four in 6.0 innings.
John Doxakis (2-2) was saddled with the loss for Texas A&M. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four in 3.2 innings.
Zach Linginfelter (3-4) was spectacular in relief to pick up the win for Tennessee. He scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight in 7.0 innings.
Choruby led the Aggies offense with three this. Foster, Shewmake and Janca added two hits apiece.
Moberg, Rodgers and Luc Lipcius each logged two hits for the Volunteers.
The Aggies return to action Tuesday when they host the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in a 6:32 pm contest on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Rob Childress
On series…
“An incredibly disappointing finish to the weekend. Our inability to finish there in the seventh inning with bases loaded and nobody out and our four, five and six, we can’t drive anybody in. Go back out in the eighth and allow them to tie the game. We had our opportunities throughout the course of the day. From the fifth inning on, we went 0-9 with runners in scoring position and didn’t finish so it was certainly disappointing to give it away there in the last inning with four walks and one hit. It was hard to swallow.”
Senior OF Nick Choruby
On thoughts on the outing…
“We should have won, obviously. We were up 3-1 in the eighth inning, had a couple chances to pile it on them. [Stephen] Kolek was doing a hell of a job on the mound, playing good defense. It’s just disappointing we didn’t pull it out.”
On going forward…
“We just need to have a short term memory with this, put it behind us and come out on Tuesday ready to rock.”
Sophomore RHP Stephen Kolek
“I just tried to really attack and not hold anything back. I tried to keep the ball down and not leave it above the knees. Usually that works out pretty well. We have to be able to flush this loss and come back tomorrow. Start preparing for next week. We have to be our best on Tuesday. Got to get rid of this one and get ready for the next one.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics