COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies held off a late rally by the Sam Houston State Bearkats to post a 6-5 victory Tuesday evening on Olsen Field Blue Bell Park.
Trailing 6-2 going into the ninth, Sam Houston State started the frame with three straight hits, including doubles by Hunter Hearn and Andrew Fregia, but Nolan Hoffman got the next three batters to ground out, ending the game.
Texas A&M improved to 35-17 with the victory. The Bearkats dropped to 35-18.
Hunter Coleman, Aaron Walters and George Janca notched two hits apiece. Allonte Wingate broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth on a hit-and-run single with runners on the corners.
On a designated bullpen day, starter Kaylor Chafin worked 2.0 scoreless innings, scattering two hits while striking out two. Asa Lacy worked 2.1 blank frames, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four. Cason Sherrod (5-2) earned the victory with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, scattering one hit and two walks while striking out four. Hoffman picked up his 11th save of the year to move into third place on Texas A&M’s single-season list.
UP NEXT
The Aggies start a three-game series against the South Carolina Gamecocks with a 6:32 p.m. contest Thursday on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | The Aggies pounced on the Bearkats with two runs in the opening frame. With one out, Michael Helman was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Coleman gapped a triple to right-center, scoring Helman, and he came around to score when Will Frizzell drove a single through the left side of the infield. A&M 2, SHSU 0.
T3 | A leadoff bunt single by Riley McKnight sparked a Bearkats’ rally. Blake Chisolm followed with a single to rightfield and with one out, Andrew Fregia was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Aggies tried to turn a 3-6-1 double play on a grounder by Clayton Harp, but the throw to first base sailed wide of the bag, allowing two runs to score. A&M 2, SHSU 2.
B6 | Texas A&M reclaimed the lead with a three-spot. With one out, Walters singled to second base and Janca followed with a single to rightfield to put runners on the corners. Wingate slapped a hit-and-run single through the right side, plating Walters and moving Janca to third. Zach DeLoach drove in Janca with a sacrifice fly and Wingate hustled to second with the throw going home. The rally was capped off when the Sam Houston State leftfield had to short hop a sinking line drive by Helman for an RBI single. A&M 5, SHSU 2.
B8 | The Aggies tacked on a fortuitous insurance run in the eighth. Logan Foster was hit by pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a groundout to short by Wingate. Foster came home on a passed ball. A&M 6, SHSU 2.
T9 | Chisolm hit a leadoff single to leftfield and Hearn followed with a double down the leftfield line to put two in scoring position. Fregia followed with a double of his own down the leftfield line to knock in two runs. Clayton Harp pushed Fregia to third with a groundout to second and Fregia scored on a groundout to short by Ben Haefner. The game ended when Hoffman got pinch-hitter Cross Austin to ground out softly back to the mound. A&M 6, SHSU 5.
Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress
Aggie RHP Cason Sherrod
Aggie 1B Hunter Coleman
Aggie OF Allonte Wingate
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics